The Highway Re-route Movement (HRM) claims the Government embarked on a four-year campaign to escalate and prolong the impasse relating to the Debe to Mon Desir segment of the Solomon Hochoy Highway extension to Point Fortin. The allegation is made in a 28-page letter to be delivered to the Office of the Prime Minister today by Wilfred Edwards, a supporter of the HRM and industrial relations consultant for the Point Fortin/Guapo/La Brea Farmers’ Association.
The group also claimed that propaganda was used to vilify and deliberately distort its message. “The HRM considers the Government’s approach predatory, reckless, dishonest, insincere and punitive. Many residents are suffering great emotional, sychological and financial hardship because the Government and State agencies have so far flouted proper, principled and transparent process, such as those outlined in the Armstrong Report,” the letter said.
Reiterating the call for mediation, the letter said the HRM had met with “insincerity, stonewalling, prevarication and procrastination” in their meetings with public officials. Edwards, 58, a farmer, said yesterday he would begin the walk from the D’Abadie home of leader of HRM Dr Wayne Kublalsingh to the Office of the Prime Minister, t Clair, to deliver the letter. Other people will walk segments of the journey to Port-of-Spain.
He added: “I have gladly accepted these documents to be delivered to the Prime Minister. It is also significant as tomorrow (today) is also the international day against corruption. “This fight against corruption ought to be taken seriously. We must not accept corruption as a way of life.” Edwards said he was also expected to complete the last leg of the walk. He was speaking at a press conference at Kublalsingh’s home yesterday.
An emaciated-looking Kublalsingh yesterday marked 83 days of his second hunger strike in protest against the Debe to Mon Desir section of the highway. Edwards and HRM member Terrance Boodhai spoke to members of the media from Kublalsingh’s bedside who himself has expressed surprise as his body’s resilience.
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One of the letters, which is 67 pages, chronicles the alleged patterns of abuse against the HRM by the Government during 2010 to 2014. The other is a 28-page response by the HRM to Nidco’s (National Infrastructure Development Company Ltd) comments on the Armstrong Report. The HRM accused Nidco, the project manager of the $7 billion highway, of failing to show evidence that the proper social, environmental and economic analyses were conducted.