By Vernon Daley, Staff ReporterA TOTAL of $311 million has been approved by the Cabinet to assist communities which were ravaged by flood rains late last year.
News of the allocation follows recent charges by the opposition Jamaica Labour Party that the government was distributing millions of dollars to Parish Councils, ostensibly to buy political advantage in the upcoming Local Government elections.
A ministry paper tabled in the House of Representatives on Tuesday states that the funds which were approved by Cabinet on January 27, will be used in all parishes for "the cleaning of drains, the clearing of silt and debris from sink holes, rivers and other drainage outlets, and the repairs to road pavements, drains and retaining walls."
The breakdown of the funds shows the Ministry of Local Government getting $204.9 million followed by the Ministry of Transport and Works, which will get $55 million and the Ministry of Water and Housing, which has been granted $22.6 million. The Ministry of Land and Environment will receive $13.7; the Ministry of Agriculture, $8.9 million; and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, $5.8 million.
According to the ministry paper, the work has been identified and prioritised by technical officers of the Parish Councils and the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation.
It explains that detailed estimates will be done with the assistance of parish managers and regional managers of the National Works Agency, which carries out government infrastructure work, including repairs to roads and bridges.
"The NWA will also assist with the supervision of the works during implementation. After certification and approval by the parish managers and regional managers, all work will be paid for by the NWA," the ministry paper states.
During last week's censure debate in the House, Audley Shaw, JLP spokesman on Finance, charged that some $172 million had been released to Parish Councils, the week before, to carry out 'bollo work'. Mr. Shaw said the money would be used to "rev up the election machinery" of the ruling People's National Party for the Local Government polls.
Government members called on Mr. Shaw to withdraw the statement but the JLP would not back down. Instead, Edward Seaga, the opposition leader, threatened that JLP members would walk out if the Speaker insisted that the statement be withdrawn.
This led to a brief recess after which Mr. Shaw rephrased his comments and put it in the form of a question.
In September, Hurricane Isadore and Hurricane Lili dumped heavy rains on the island, causing extensive damage to roads, bridges and agricultural lands. In October 2002 some $65 million was initially released to ease the immediate distress of residents in affected areas while the remainder of the damage was determined and prioritised.
According to the ministry paper, the recent Cabinet approval arose from a joint submission presented by various ministries and government agencies aimed at dealing with the remaining flood repairs.
