TT one step closer to Local Govt polls

BY week’s end, Trinidad and Tobago will be one step closer to the staging of Local Government Elections. This was the word yesterday from Local Government Minister Jarrette Narine who dismissed allegations from Chaguanas Mayor Orlando Nagessar about continued Government discrimination against United National Congress (UNC)-controlled local government bodies.

The Minister said the EBC’s report on local government boundaries will be evaluated by the Senate tomorrow and by the House of Representatives on Friday. Narine said once Parliament approves the report, it would clear the way for Prime Minister Patrick Manning to announce an election date. A NACTA poll last week predicted a People’s National Movement (PNM) victory in those polls with the Mayaro/Rio Claro and Sangre Grande Regional Corporations going to the PNM.

Narine also revealed that Chaguanas got the largest financial allocation under the 2003 development programme compared to when the UNC was in government. “Last year’s development programme was $6.5 million as given by the UNC. This year’s programme is $28.775 million and Chaguanas got the most. Chaguanas got $2.903 million. Last year they got $767,000,” he said. The Minister added that records at the Ministry show the Chaguanas Borough Corporation receiving all monies allocated to it for this year. Nagessar responded that financial allocations to his corporation were usually late and he would have to check to see if all monies for the corporation were in fact received.