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Charles prepared to block water trucks on way to PNP seats
BY VERNON DAVIDSON Executive Editor — Publications davidsonv@jamaicaobserver.com
Monday, March 19, 2012
A decision by the Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change to truck water to the three constituencies in Clarendon controlled by the ruling People's National Party (PNP) and ignore the three held by the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has angered veteran parliamentarian Pearnel Charles.
So upset is Charles by the decision that he has vowed to prevent the trucks from driving through his Clarendon North Central constituency. He also said he could not guarantee their safety.
Pearnel Charles
Pearnel Charles
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"I am warning the secretary manager of the parish council that if she proceeds with the decision I will have no choice but to prevent the trucks from driving through my constituency, neither can I guarantee the security of the trucks or the crew. I am prepared to go back to prison," Charles said, referencing his incarceration in the state of emergency imposed by the then Government in the run-up to the 1976 General Election.
Charles showed the Observer a copy of a letter, dated March 14, 2012, from permanent secretary in the ministry, Genefa Hibbert, addressed to Judith Lawrence, the secretary manager of the Clarendon Parish Council.
The letter advises Lawrence that $2,500,000 had been allocated to the parish council to truck water to domestic customers in Clarendon and detailed the funds as follows:
* Clarendon South West — $1,000,000
* Clarendon Northern — $1,000,000
* Clarendon North West — $500,000
"The parish council in consultation with the members of parliament will be responsible for arranging the trucking of water to specified areas," the letter added.
"The members of parliament, to whom a copy of this letter will be sent, will be in contact with the relevant officer in the parish council to confirm areas to which water is to be trucked."
The letter also advised that the MPs and the parish council are to agree on time schedules for the trucking of water and that a responsible officer at the level of the secretary manager or superintendent of roads and works will sign off on invoices presented for payment.
Yesterday, Charles charged that the ministry was distributing water on a partisan basis, given that the entire parish was experiencing a drought. He also pointed to the fact that the three constituencies to which water is to be trucked are held by the governing PNP.
Clarendon South West is represented by Noel Arscott, Clarendon Northern by Horace Dalley, and Clarendon North West by Richard Azan.
"We have been appealing to the parish council for water since last year," said Charles. "My constituency is the worst-affected as there is little or no water in communities such as Rock River and Mocho."
He said that of the 17 schools in the constituency only five have running water.
The Observer was unable to reach Water Minister Robert Pickersgill for a comment yesterday.
Charles said that the discrimination was even more pronounced as water trucks going to northern and north west Clarendon must pass through his constituency.
"I will not stand by and allow my constituents — those who voted for me, those who voted for the PNP and those who did not vote — to go without a cup of water," Charles said.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz1pZEy5aKN
Charles prepared to block water trucks on way to PNP seats
BY VERNON DAVIDSON Executive Editor — Publications davidsonv@jamaicaobserver.com
Monday, March 19, 2012
A decision by the Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change to truck water to the three constituencies in Clarendon controlled by the ruling People's National Party (PNP) and ignore the three held by the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has angered veteran parliamentarian Pearnel Charles.
So upset is Charles by the decision that he has vowed to prevent the trucks from driving through his Clarendon North Central constituency. He also said he could not guarantee their safety.
Pearnel Charles
Pearnel Charles#slideshowtoggler, #slideshowtoggler a, #slideshowtoggler img {filter:none !important;zoom:normal !important}
1/1 "I am warning the secretary manager of the parish council that if she proceeds with the decision I will have no choice but to prevent the trucks from driving through my constituency, neither can I guarantee the security of the trucks or the crew. I am prepared to go back to prison," Charles said, referencing his incarceration in the state of emergency imposed by the then Government in the run-up to the 1976 General Election.
Charles showed the Observer a copy of a letter, dated March 14, 2012, from permanent secretary in the ministry, Genefa Hibbert, addressed to Judith Lawrence, the secretary manager of the Clarendon Parish Council.
The letter advises Lawrence that $2,500,000 had been allocated to the parish council to truck water to domestic customers in Clarendon and detailed the funds as follows:
* Clarendon South West — $1,000,000
* Clarendon Northern — $1,000,000
* Clarendon North West — $500,000
"The parish council in consultation with the members of parliament will be responsible for arranging the trucking of water to specified areas," the letter added.
"The members of parliament, to whom a copy of this letter will be sent, will be in contact with the relevant officer in the parish council to confirm areas to which water is to be trucked."
The letter also advised that the MPs and the parish council are to agree on time schedules for the trucking of water and that a responsible officer at the level of the secretary manager or superintendent of roads and works will sign off on invoices presented for payment.
Yesterday, Charles charged that the ministry was distributing water on a partisan basis, given that the entire parish was experiencing a drought. He also pointed to the fact that the three constituencies to which water is to be trucked are held by the governing PNP.
Clarendon South West is represented by Noel Arscott, Clarendon Northern by Horace Dalley, and Clarendon North West by Richard Azan.
"We have been appealing to the parish council for water since last year," said Charles. "My constituency is the worst-affected as there is little or no water in communities such as Rock River and Mocho."
He said that of the 17 schools in the constituency only five have running water.
The Observer was unable to reach Water Minister Robert Pickersgill for a comment yesterday.
Charles said that the discrimination was even more pronounced as water trucks going to northern and north west Clarendon must pass through his constituency.
"I will not stand by and allow my constituents — those who voted for me, those who voted for the PNP and those who did not vote — to go without a cup of water," Charles said.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz1pZEy5aKN
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