NAR knocks local govt silence on cell towers

“The regional corporations have the direct responsibility for stopping unlawful structures in their areas.

“They are mandated to do so under section 163 of the Municipal Corporations Act of 1990,” Henry said in a statement.

However, Henry said the party had observed that the regional corporations had “largely abdicated and abandoned their responsibilities and left citizens to fend for themselves.”

She said the most recent protest against the construction of the cellular towers came from residents in La Florissante.

This followed protests at Gulf View, Waterloo, Valsayn South, San Raphael and other areas. Henry said La Florissante residents have decided to form a “national committee of citizens disturbed over the construction of cell sites in residential areas.”

“The NAR is calling upon the local government bodies to take responsibility for their obligations under the law and to perform the functions they are mandated to perform.”

At the same time, however, Henry noticed the “increasing emasculation of the local government authorities by the PNM administration through the setting up of a number of other bodies with parallel functions.”

She said examples are the Rural Development Company and the Community Development Com-pany.

“We have also seen that the financing of CEPEP and URP amount to more than all fourteen local government bodies combined,” Henry said.