Controversy is brewing over a multi-million dollar contract awarded to Kalco Ltd to pave the Toco Main Road from Matelot to Shark River. While chairman of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation, Terry Rondon is insisting that the paving was shoddily done and taxpayers did not get value for money, former director of highways in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Roger Ganesh, is maintaining that the work was done up to standard.
On Thursday, Rondon blew his top on the matter, stating that Kalco was provoking the residents of the northeastern region. He said motorists, residents, commuters and pedestrians had been complaining to him daily because the road was left in a deplorable condition. In 2012, Rondon said, Kalco was contracted to pave seven miles of the Toco Main Road over a six-month period.
Rondon said after waiting for almost three years, only three miles of road from Matelot to Shark River were resurfaced. “Then to our shock last October, Kalco just packed up their equipment and left. They are a law unto themselves, man. They just ain’t care about nobody,” an irate Rondon said.
Rondon: My hands are tied
To compound matters, Rondon said, while Kalco was in the process of leaving the site, a subcontractor of Kalco came and dug up portions of the road from Toco to Sans Souci and never repaired it. “Kalco has only been playing the fool with us and not completing the work. Now they leave the people in Matelot to suffer once again. They are provoking the people. They are taking us for granted because we do not burn tyres and protest like other communities to get what we want.”
Rondon said he did not believe taxpayers got value for money. Admitting that the road had been neglected for years, Rondon said the People’s National Movement was not in government and there was little he could do.
“Burgesses feel I have the power under the corporation to fix the road, but that responsibility lies in the hands of the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure. My hands are tied. It’s pure politics the Government playing. There is no doubt that the people are being sidelined because they supported the PNM. The people will talk volumes on election day.”
Ganesh: Kalco has not abandoned the job
However, Ganesh who retired from the ministry last December gave the assurance that Kalco “has not abandoned” the job. Ganesh, whose son-in-law operates Kalco, was at the helm of the highways division when the contract was awarded. Ganesh said on Friday that Kalco was awaiting the completion of works by T&TEC, WASA and the Programme for Upgrading Roads Efficiency (Pure).
“As soon as all those things are sorted out...the utilities and so, it will be completed. There is not much to be done anyway. It is just about ten per cent to be done. I can assure you that within a month’s time work will be completed under the contract. Within a month whatever defects, if there are any, will be repaired so there would not be anything for anyone to complain about.” Ganesh said he disagreed with Rondon that the paving was poorly done, having seen the work himself.
“I am satisfied with the work that has been done so far. Remember there are other contractors working in the area. I am not sure they are talking about Kalco.” Unable to quote the value of the paving contract, Ganesh also dispelled reports that a subcontractor of Kalco uprooted parts of the road and left it. “Whatever he (Rondon) told you, that is not correct at all. We are not abandoning any job. We don’t have anything to hide. Mr Rondon is painting a wrong picture.”
Ganesh said the time frame of Kalco’s contract was extended due to “unforeseen” issues. “That is the nature of civil construction works. When you dealing in areas where WASA can’t tell you where their lines run and those sorts of things, you have those problems always cropping up.”
Phillip: Kalco finished their contract a long time
On Friday, programme director of Pure, Hayden Phillip, said as far as he was aware Kalco had wrapped up its work at the site.