Sunday morning protest over crumbling road

Spokeswoman for the unhappy villagers Annie Hosein told Newsday, "going to the National Self-help Commission and the Local Government representative for the area, have proven to be a big waste of time."

Hosein claimed that Sharma Deonarine — Local Government Councillor for the area — who sits on the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation only gave promises to them but nothing has been done about the roads. The spokeswoman also complained that the area’s Member of Parliament Manohar Ramsaran only visited the area around elections and "sends an emissary when the area floods to find out how deep the water is." Efforts by Newsday to reach Deonarine and Ramsaran for a response proved futile.

Hosein said efforts to get assistance from the National Self-Help Commission were unsuccessful. She added that residents had completed application forms but were being given the run around by officers from the Self-Help Commission. Other residents told Newsday they also approached the PNM’s Central Regional Office for help earlier in the year but were blanked because the area is located within a UNC-controlled constituency.

An irate villager who asked not to be identified, said as a single mother, life was unbearable especially when she had to plough through roads which she said are more mud pits than actual roads, to get to and from work.