Ramjattan lied to East Canje residents about school bus money – Chairman

…greeted with protest in Berbice

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan has been accused of lying to residents of East Canje, Berbice on the issue of a school bus for children of fired sugar workers.
The minister met with residents of East Canje on Saturday, and announced that money has been allocated to the region to buy a bus for the fired sugar workers’ children to be taken to school. However, immediately after his announcement, Regional Chairman David Armogan disputed this statement by saying that no such money was given to the region.

As Ramjattan made his way into the Adelphi Market building, where the meeting was held, scores of residents carrying placards picketed him.
The picketers shouted their distrust of the minister: “Ramjattan can’t be trusted!” “This is the good life?” “Come and meet us out here!”
As the meeting started, some picketers attempted to enter the building, but were prevented from doing so by the Police. At the time, they were still carrying their placards.
At the meeting, several issues were raised by residents, including concerns of workers who were fired from the Rose Hall Sugar Estate, which has been closed.
Lance Boatswain asked the minister whether the Government had been thinking about strategies which could be implemented to cushion the negative impact the closure of the sugar estate is having on the community. He noted that they have been calling for water and electricity subsidies, and also for the Government to provide a bus to take the children of the sacked workers to school.
The minister, in response, said Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) Administration has money budgeted to purchase a bus to transport school children. “Apparently they don’t want to spend it, I don’t know why. But alright, Central Government can come, or some businessmen can come and put some money just like how we have gotten buses, other places. In relation to the water, I am in no position to answer your question, but I am certainly going to raise it with (Dr) Richard Van West-Charles about the increase, and for those people who were terminated, whether there can be something done. I don’t think that everybody (was a) sugar worker in Canje, there are other people who are other (categories of) workers who will have to pay…,” he said.
However, Region Six Chairman David Armogan said there had been no money set aside in the regional administration’s budget for a bus.
“So any Minister or any Government that comes and says so is lying. In fact, I am now preparing to write the President to see if he can get a bus for the Canje area, and I am going to do that on Monday morning; but for the minister to come and say that, it is ridiculed.”
After the 2018 National Budget was passed, the Region Six Administration subsequently held a press conference to highlight some of the projects which had been approved in the National budget for the region. During that press conference, no mention was made of a vehicle to take school children in any part of the region.