Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine has expressed frustration and disappointment with the work, or lack thereof, of the City Engineering Department, noting that the workers are failing to execute their duties.
During a press conference on Wednesday, he raised several concerns he had with the functioning of the Department headed by Colvern Venture.
In fact, he revealed that there is currently a motion before the Council to terminate the services of Venture over his poor performance over the years.
“I cannot see why Mr. Venture would go to the public and say that he couldn’t achieve much in 2021 when he didn’t achieve [anything in] 2019 and 2020,” Mayor Narine contended.
“If you leave here now and you go down to stone depot, there’s a brand-new mini excavator Mr. Venture said he needed badly. We bought that new excavator, $14M, it sits in stone depot. When we asked why it is not being utilised, next thing the you know, the engineer say to us the trailer bought to move this excavator need some kind of wood. How you put the cart before the horse?”
Moreover, the Mayor alleged that on countless occasions, he would visit the Department to find the workers simply doing nothing productive.
“If you go right now, you will find the workers playing cards and dominoes! Many times, I turn up there, they doing that. I complained many times, nothing is being done,” the Georgetown Mayor argued.
He also alleged that works which should take weeks and days to complete, usually takes much longer – a delay, which he deemed as unnecessary.
“The dirty Health Centre on South Road was given a grant by an organisation, I believe is $1.8M to be spent to paint that building. To date we don’t know the status of that building. All I’m aware of is that some windows put on. The money is there, but you have to ask whether the requisition was sent down. We made a decision at the Council to mark the vendor spots, Mr. Venture never object marking of the spot, the cheque was prepared twice, the paint was bought. It sit in the stores, work hasn’t started yet,” Mayor Narine contended.
The Mayor even made mention of the city abattoir that has been down for the past two years. According to him, the department should have ensured the facility was functioning by now but it is nowhere close to achieving that.
According to reports in the media, Venture claimed he is unable to complete several works around city because his department is understaffed.
But Mayor Narine argued that he will not approve the hiring of more workers.
“If you claim that you are understaff of building inspectors, the current building inspectors the Engineering Department has, what are they doing? Let him tell us?”
“So, if I give you more, I will just flood the Treasury Department to pay more workers without any services,” he added.
