Min. Croal warns contractors over delays at De Endragt Phase 2 Housing Development

Housing Minister Collin Croal, along with a team of engineers, engineering technicians, clerks of works, and contractors conducted a site visit to the De Endragt Phase Two Housing Development along the East Coast of Demerara on Monday where he engaged delayed contractors and provided an update on the ongoing infrastructure works.

During the visit, Croal announced that hundreds of allottees will soon be able to access and identify their lands as works near completion in several sections of the scheme.

He said persons assigned temporary lot numbers 409 to 604 will be able to access their lands during the coming week as surveyors are currently installing paals for the house lots. The minister added that infrastructure works for temporary lot numbers 605 to 733 are expected to be completed by the end of the month, and those allottees should be able to identify their lots by the second week of June.

Croal noted that one contractor who had been significantly behind schedule completed works over the past week, allowing the ministry to move ahead with the surveying process.

However, he acknowledged that infrastructure works remain delayed for persons assigned temporary lot numbers 164 to 408. The minister said the contractor responsible for those works has already been engaged and warned officially over the slow pace of the project. “We’ve expressed our total displeasure on the rate at which the work is ongoing. In fact, we do not see the evidence of the level of work that is required to be able to bring on par or even to catch up,” Croal said.

He revealed that Agency has already started applying liquidated damages to two contractors who failed to meet deadlines and is now examining additional measures to ensure the completion of the outstanding works.

Despite the setbacks, Croal said the ministry is aiming to have the entire Phase Two infrastructure works completed by the end of June. He also appealed to affected allottees for continued patience, noting that the update was intended to ease concerns among persons awaiting access to their lands. (Ministry of Housing)