Min. Indar scolds contractors over unsanctioned works days after VP Jagdeo called out ministry’s shoddy management of construction sites
Feb 22, 2025
Kaieteur News- Days after Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo expressed frustration over the Ministry of Public Works’ handling of construction sites, Minister within that ministry, Deodat Indar, reprimanded two contractors for unauthorized work along Princess Street, Georgetown.
Minister Deodat Indar (right) scolding the contractors for the unsanctioned works along Princess Street, Georgetown
On Friday, the Ministry of Public Works posted on its Facebook page that the contractors had carried out excavation work without the approval of ministry’s engineers.
Minister Indar, upon visiting the site, gave the contractors a 24-hour deadline to revet sections of the reserve that had been compromised due to improper excavation and recent heavy rainfall. The statement further noted that utility poles in the area were now at risk, prompting the Public Works Minister to instruct the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) to intervene to stabilize the ground surrounding the poles.
On the first day of the 2025 Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo, Vice President Jagdeo criticized the management of public works projects, highlighting the disorder at various construction sites and the inconvenience caused to citizens.
He said, “From the time I came down the East Bank Road, I posted in the Cabinet group my dissatisfaction with the Ministry of Public Works. They are not managing these sites well. There are people all around you know, just they don’t think about the thousands of people who are discomforted every day.”
Jagdeo added, “The President got on their case last week. It’s like everywhere, I know we’re building lots of things at the same time. We have to do it, and it’s causing discomfort. But for Christ’s sake, just let’s do it with some order.”
The Vice President also pointed to the recurring problem of newly paved roads being dug up soon after by other agencies like the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), further exacerbating the issue.
“You can’t express the amount of frustration that we express every day with these guys. They dig up a road that says, we just paved a road. They come, and then GWI will come and dig up the road again,” he said.
He stressed that better coordination and regulation were necessary to avoid disruptions and inefficiencies.
(Min. Indar scolds contractors over unsanctioned works days after VP Jagdeo called out ministry’s shoddy management of construction sites)
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