Narine: Local Govt officials selling water

Local Government Minister yesterday accused some local government corporations of distributing water to their friends and family. They were also selling water.

“This was why people have to go and block the roads because of the lack of water,” Narine told the Senate yesterday. He said according to a report prepared by officers of the Ministry of Local Government it was a “habit” of the people of the corporation to sell the water. “That is a fact,” he said, shortly after the Senate President warned him to be careful. Narine said that where there were no water lines, the local government bodies were responsible for providing water. But many were being derelict in their duties, he lamented. Narine said the UNC and their representatives used and continue to use official vehicles for private purposes. “We have people driving around in government vehicles. They going to the market, picking their children up and going to party group meetings. The only thing they not doing with the vehicles is running PH,” he said.

Narine also brought to the attention of the Senate the fact that the Mayor of Chaguanas “took Government and taxpayers money” and brought a gun “which is illegal to do”. He showed the cheque and invoice order which paid for the gun. Narine said he had instructed the Municipal Police — because it is the corporation’s property — to ensure that the Mayor did not go away with it. “He could wear it in his office,” he said, adding that the Mayor had been all over the country with it. The pistol was purchased two years ago. Narine said a quotation of $3,800 was given then  for a SW pistol. He said a SW.385 was brought and the price paid was $7,500. The Minister said two years after — the quotation which he has received as the current price of the gun is $7,000. He said the same kinds of price/quotation differentials applied to the gun holder and the rounds of ammunition.

Narine said Wade Mark who raised some fundamental points about Local Government obviously didn’t follow the career of “the Sheriff” (Dhanraj Singh). Noting that last Friday was the deadline for the corporations to submit their funding for the draft estimates of expenditure for the next budget, Narine said in 2001, the UNC in its Budget gave $6.5 million for development funding for the 14 corporations. And, he added, while corporations like  San Fernando got none and Tunapuna/Piarco got none, Debe/ Penal got $943,000. He said last year with a PNM Budget, local government was given $28.7 million for development. And the distribution was even and maybe in the favour of the UNC-controlled corporation. He said while PoS got $2.265 million; Arima $1.5 million; San Fernando $1.9 million, Chaguanas which is UNC-controlled was given $2.9 million.