Sinanan: Don’t play politics

He was responding to claims by a councillor in the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation, that equipment from Sinanan’s ministry was not deployed effectively to address flooding, particularly in eastern district and environs, after Tropical Storm Bret.

“I heard the call from a certain councillor which was very unfortunate because apart from it not being true, it sort of demoralises the spirit of the people in the Ministry who came out as early as 5.30 am on Monday in that area,” he told reporters during the post-Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s.

Sinanan said the view of the councillor contradicts that of that corporation’s chairman Martin Terry Rondon, who praised the work of the ministry.

“The chairman was singing high praises for staff at the Ministry who deployed equipment from Sunday morning on the north coast,” Sinanan said.

“Unfortunately, the area that the councillor belongs to had a flooding issue and in flooding areas, you have to wait for the waters to recede.” The minister who toured flood-ravaged communities on Tuesday and Wednesday said there were other areas in the constituency with a lot of fallen trees and landslips.

“If that councillor was in an area with flooding, obviously heavy equipment can’t help you with floods. The water has to run off, then you go in, assess the situation and deal with it. That is what we are dealing with right now.” Sinanan said within the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation, his ministry’s workers cleared away 90 fallen trees.

“And all this was done after the storm. So, it is unfortunate that some people will want to use politics in a time of disaster.

All it does is demoralise people who are out there doing what they are trained to do.” Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young dismissed the views of the naysayers regarding the effectiveness of the relief agencies, such as the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management.

He told reporters Government was pleased with the level of co-ordination among the various responding agencies to Bret. “There is always going such views in the aftermath of these things,” Young said, alluding to the views of the particular councillor.

Young said despite limited resources, many volunteers rose to the occasion. “I thank all those who volunteered free of charge, their own equipment.

Those are the types of things we want the people to come up and do because all of us are in this thing togethe