‘We will work with you to fix the dams and clean the canals’ ‘We will work with you to fix the dams and clean the canals’

-Minister Mustapha tells Helena farmers

Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha on Tuesday ordered a comprehensive report on works needed in Helena, Mahaica, after a group of farmers requested his intervention. The Minister travelled to the area with a team of officials to get a firsthand look at some of the challenges there.

Mr. Basil Jagasar, also known as Bassan, a farmer from Helena said many of the dams needed to be fixed. He also said the canals needed to be cleared.

“We need help. We are happy that you are here today. The trench is blocked up and water going into our farms. Minister, look at this dam. Can farmers bring out produce on dams like this? It is worse at the back,” he said.

Other farmers expressed similar concerns about the need for urgent rehabilitative works to be conducted on other dams in the community.

Farmers also said they were dissatisfied with the way a recently constructed bridge was built. They said that the machines used to transport their produce from their farms were not able to cross the bridge because the rails were too narrow.

After listening to the farmers, Minister Mustapha said a report would be complied on the issues. He also examined the bridge and noted that some amount of revetment works would have to be done to the structure to accommodate the farmers in the area.

Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and other officials from the Ministry while engaging a farmer at the meeting

“I’ve since instructed our regional engineer to come back to the area tomorrow and work with the farmers.  I’ve also asked that a comprehensive report on works needed in the area be done. I should have that report by Friday so that we can prioritise the works and commence as soon as possible.

Also, there’s a bridge that was constructed last year as part of NDIA’s capital programme and I think that we’ll have to carry out some remedial works on it. I’ve asked NDIA to make the Bill of Quantities available so that we can closely examine the scope of the works. When we are undertaking works of this nature, we have to ensure the stakeholders are involved in these projects at some level because they are the ultimate beneficiaries,” Minister Mustapha said.

Minister Zulfikar Mustapha while engaging a farmer.

The Minister also said he was disappointing that farmers had to bring the matter of substandard projects to his attention when engineers are tasked with monitoring these projects.

“I am in the process of revamping the engineering department of the NDIA to ensure the agency is more responsive and proactive. We cannot continue to do things in a haphazard way. We have to ensure that when these projects are done, they are done in a way that we can have value for the monies spent.

These projects cost a lot of money and they have to be done according to the contractual specifications. We’ll also be focusing on the way these contractors are working. Works have to be verified by our engineers before payments are made,” Minister Mustapha said.