Best Village to return

He also promised Carenage residents a plot of land to farm at Chaguaramas. Rowley spoke at a People’s National Movement (PNM) spot meeting last Friday night at Frisco Junction, corner Haig and Abbe Pujadas Streets, Carenage, where his Diego Martin West constituents heard speeches from a galaxy of Cabinet Ministers and then aspiring councillors.

“The Prime Minister’s Best Village will be coming back to you and ramped up, because it is a good, positive activity,” Rowley said.

“We want to encourage young people to direct their energies, and we want to unearth talent that they never knew they had.” On a cultural note, he said new community centres are earmarked for Four Roads and Bagatelle, both in Diego Martin. Rowley also encouraged Carenage residents to get into farming, in contrast to the dubious allocation of Chaguaramas lands to “Tom, Dick and Harry”, days before the 2015 General Elections.

He said the new Board of the Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA) has decided to encourage a number of Carenage residents to access farmland in the Chaguaras Valley. “The Board has my support and those of you who are willing to convert Chaguaramas Valley from bush to farming plots, to contribute to the national food import reduction effort, some plots will become available to you to grow vegetables and other crops and you will be encouraged to do so by the Board.” “By the same token, we will ensure that as we look at Chaguaramas as an area of development, the people of this area - Point Cumana, Diego Martin, Carenage, L’anse Mitan - you get a share of what Carenage is.” Relating past residents’ support for PNM founder, Dr Eric Williams’, fight to get back Chaguaramas from the United States military, Rowley vowed, “If there are things to be had in Chaguaramas, you are not to be left out.” Rowley vowed to build a new Carenage Police Station, and to resume work to build a Carenage Fish Market just as done for the new St Joseph Police Station, the two latter both put on hold for five yearsby the former People’s Partnership Government.