Contractor for Diamond/Grove roads must complete works or lose contract

Minister of Public Works, Hon. Bishop Juan Edghill is urging a contractor with outstanding works valued some $32 million in the Diamond/Grove Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) to get it done soon or risk losing the contract.

The Minister issued this warning during a recent walk-through of the NDC where he teamed up with the Council to repair several roads.

“There are four streets that have been awarded, contracts have been signed since 2019 and should have been completed. I have said to my technical staff to write the contractor and he has to get on this site in a week to finish this work. If he can’t, I am going to terminate the contract with all of the penalties that are there and the Force Account Unit of the Ministry of Public Works will get the work done,” Minister Edghill said.

The Ministry’s Force Account Unit will repair several streets with the materials purchased by the NDC. The Unit will also finish works wherever there may be gaps between the works done by the NDC and the Ministry.

“With these interventions, in another six to eight weeks, you will see significant improvements in the NDC, works being executed and the lives of people being improved,” Minister Edghill said.

Speaking with DPI, NDC Chairman, Indrani Ramnarine described the Minister’s input as timely. “The lives of the residents will be improved because we have been receiving constant complaints about the roads and the roadworks that have been done within the last five years,” the Chairman said.

Under Budget 2020, Government has issued Invitation for Bids (IFBs) for the rehabilitation of several streets in Diamond. These are 4^th Cross Street (5^th Avenue-6^th Avenue), 3^rd Parallel Road (3 Avenue- 4^th Avenue) and 3^rd Parallel Road (3^rd Avenue-4^th Avenue).