Buxton has benefited from developmental works
August 4, 2003, GINA release
As part of its mandate, Government has the responsibility
of allocating funds to the various Administrative Regions of the
country. This is in an effort to ensure that all citizens receive
adequate and improved social services. Therefore Buxton Village,
located on the East Coast of Demerara, approximately 15 miles
from Georgetown, has in no way been omitted from the Administration’s
allocation process.
Claims that Buxton has been neglected and that there is a deliberate
ploy not to develop that community, are untrue. Records have shown
that this historic village has been the recipient of several developmental
projects in all the social sectors. These include Education, Health,
Water and Infrastructural projects.
In the 2002 budgetary allocation in the Buxton community, 12.2
million dollars was spent on rehabilitating the Buxton Primary
and Community High Schools, enabling students to be part of a
much more conducive learning environment. Also a Practical Instruction
Centre is currently under construction in Buxton village. Upon
its completion, this facility will provide youths with the opportunity
to learn technical skills, such as, woodworking.
There is a fully operational and well-staffed Health Centre in
Buxton and monies were spent to improve the physical structure
of the building. A senior health visitor is stationed in the village,
along with a midwife and a nursing assistant. A trained doctor
visits the Health Centre every week. The Buxton village remains
a major agriculture centre where the majority of the population
depends heavily on the proceeds from their harvest.
As such, revetments are vital in the agricultural sector and over
30 M dollars was spent since 2001 towards improving the drainage
and irrigation system in the community. In 2001, 18.8M dollars
was spent on the construction of a heavy-duty bridge at Pond Dam
and rehabilitation of Bamboo Dam Koker revetment.
Seven million dollars was spent on the rehabilitation and maintenance
of roads and $ 1.2M dollars was spent on the rehabilitation of
the Buxton/Friendship Middle Road in 2001.
For last year alone, 19.3 million dollars was spent in the Buxton/Fouls
area on repairs to roads damaged by some residents.
Last December, the sea wall at Buxton was breached at three different
locations, causing some floods in the area. Hence, between 2001-2002,
an estimated $31M dollars was spent by the Sea Defence Unit of
the Ministry of Public Works to seal the breaches.
Emerging out of the dialogue between President Bharrat Jagdeo
and late Leader of the Opposition Party Desmond Hoyte, was the
formation of six Joint Committees, which included the Depressed
committee.
Under the Depressed Communities Needs Committee, the Government
allocated $ 60M for four communities. Each community, including
Buxton received $15M for projects that included desilting all
street drains within the community by manual labour. Hence, this
sum was used to improve drainage for the benefit of approximately
15,000 residents and provided employment for about 50 shovel men.
Over 400 rods of Crown Dam were cleaned in which 400 farmers benefited
from access to land and irrigation water.
The Buxton and Friendship middle walk canals were desilted which
provided drainage and irrigation for farms stretching over two
miles. Also 24 tube culverts were installed within the village
to discharge the streets drains in to the main drainage canal.
There was the procurement and installation of three irrigation
tubes below the Crown Dam, to provide irrigation water in the
Buxton and Friendship middle walks and in the Buxton/Friendship
Company Path canal to irrigate 2000 acres of land for farming.
Additionally, the Company Path trench between Buxton and Friendship
was desilted, to facilitate transportation of farmers' produce
and to provide drainage and irrigation for the farms.
These are just some of the developmental works that have been
carried out in the Buxton village.
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