Govt secrecy blamed for collapse of Indian Monument project

By Andrew Carmichael

The Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) Administration is blaming secrecy in the way Government undertook the construction of the Indian Arrival Monument at Palmyra, East Coast Berbice for its recent embarrassing collapse.

At the Region Six Democratic Council’s (RDC’s) monthly statutory meeting on Thursday, Councillor Zamal Hoosain raised the controversial issue and said: “When projects are being administered in the region, a copy of the bill of quantities should be given to the administration. At the last procurement workshop, the Minister was told of what the Regional Administration requires. A few days ago, it is evident that the collapse of the monument base at Palmyra is a typical example of what can happen when a copy of the bill of quantities and scope of work is not with the region.
If (we had had copies of the bill of quantities and scope of work), we would have (supervised) the project,” Hoosain told the RDC meeting.
The Regional Administration is requesting that the Government provide information on projects that are being undertaken in the region, but Hoosain is claiming that none of the ministries under the APNU/AFC coalition government is adhering to that request.

The construction of a base for the Indian Arrival Monument — a project which is estimated at $97M — is one of the most recent projects for which the Regional Administration had allegedly requested information but got nothing; and Hoosain has said the collapse of the monument base should provide enough evidence that Government should send information to the region.
Region Six Chairman David Armogan has said the Administration is not accepting responsibility for what is now being viewed as poor construction. The Ministry of Public Infrastructure has since confirmed that the project falls under the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport within the Education Ministry.
A source at the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport said on Wednesday that that Department is not responsible for the project, and the Ministry of the Presidency should accept responsibility.
The base of the Indian Arrival Monument at Palmyra crumbled on April 26, in the wake of claims by some workers that they had not been paid since February.
Meanwhile, these sentiments expressed yesterday came in the wake of earlier sentiments expressed by prominent national artist Philbert Gajadhar, who along with Winslow Craig designed the Indian Arrival Monument at Palmyra. Both Gajadhar and Craig are blaming the contractors for the recent collapse.
Gajadhar told Guyana Times on Tuesday that the design was not in keeping with what was originally agreed on during the initial phase of the project design.
“In our design concept, the base was not supposed to be that high. It was supposed to be about eight to nine feet (high); so that thing was done too high,” the artist argued.
Two Saturdays ago, Gajadhar was contacted by the Education Ministry and asked to meet with the contractors. The meeting was expected to take place at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara.
The artist said it was explained that the contractors were having some problems regarding how to place the monument on the base, and were looking to get advice from them.
That meeting never materialized, but according to Gajadhar, he and his colleague visited the site. “We went and we looked at it, and I told them that what they were building there cannot accommodate our plans, our designs, and the placement of the figures and so on,” he explained.
Another meeting was promised, and Permanent Secretary of the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport, Gale Rigobert, was expected to attend. However, this meeting has not yet been finalised. Nevertheless, Gajadhar is of the opinion that, had he and his colleague been consulted by the new Government, the current situation would not have obtained. “We were not involved. We were left out totally,” he lamented.

Region in dark
Meanwhile, regional officials who met on Tuesday to discuss projects in the region have said no information has been provided to the body in regard to the monument’s construction.
One day after the structure collapsed, the contracting company, Alternative Contracting Enterprises, revealed that an engineer from India was expected to visit the project site and advise on the way forward.
However, the next day workers were seen digging at the base, but provided no information. When this publication visited the project site on Tuesday, there was no work taking place.
A new contractor and two employees were later seen at the site. They claimed their only duty was to construct a fence, which was separate from the job of the contractor to construct the base for the monument.
However, Guyana Times understands that the contract was given to Alternative Contracting Enterprises although the company was not the lowest bidder.
The $97 million project includes the construction of a base for a three-ton monument depicting six persons (four adults and two children). The six-foot statue depicting six bronze figures of three men, two women and a child illustrates Indians in their everyday life.