Assistant secretary of the Brasso Seco Paria Tourism Action Committee, Melanie Bastaldo, yesterday slammed their MP Anthony Garcia for deserting them in their darkest hour.
Bastaldo said five days after their community had experienced torrential rains and landslides which left four houses partially destroyed, roads impassable, no telephone communication and crops washed away, they had not seen or heard from Garcia.
Garcia is Education Minister.
However, Garcia dismissed the residents’ claims, stating that he has been “in touch” with Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan, CEO of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) Dr Stephen Ramroop and outgoing chairman of the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation Edwin Gooding to keep abreast of the situation there.
“I have not been there. That is the truth. But my personal assistant has been in constant contact with the Brasso Seco residents. I have also been communicating with the relevant ministries,” Garcia said.
Though Garcia claimed to be keeping in direct contact with those looking after the community’s needs, he could not give an update on the state of the village yesterday.
Questioned when he would pay the village a visit, Garcia said, “later on this week,” but did not give a definite day.
As Garcia spoke, he said he was heading to the Piarco International Airport to attend a meeting in Barbados and upon his return he would tour the area.
“I assure you I will visit them to see what can be done,” Garcia said.
Bastaldo said the entire community was outraged that Garcia could not even spare two hours to hear the cries of the affected residents and to see first hand what they were facing.
“We are disappointed because everybody in the village say if our councillor Candice Alleyne could come, why he can’t do the same. Garcia should treat this as a priority.”
Bastaldo said the last time they saw Garcia was following the 2010 general election.
She said due to fallen electricity poles and lines cellphones could neither be charged nor used, while landlines had gone dead.
While roads such as Madamas, Paria Bay and Brasso Trace remained impassable, Bastaldo said the Paria Main Road was cleared of all debris.
At Madamas Road, Bastaldo said, nine households were affected by the heavy downpour.
“Thick mud has covered the road’s surface. You can only get in and out by foot. It’s impossible for any vehicle to pass.”
Giving an update, Gooding said the corporation has cleared all but Madamas Road.
He said work came to a grinding halt on Sunday after the corporation’s backhoe started malfunctioning.
“Another backhoe was sent in today. But I cannot tell how work has been progressing since I am unable to reach anyone by cellphone. I have to wait until our work crews come in to find out. What I can tell you is that no family has been marooned.”
Unable to say when clean-up operations would end, Gooding said he knows that the ODPM and the corporation’s disaster unit have been providing relief supplies to affected families.
“I don’t think it is anything close that happened in Matelot.”
Ramroop did not respond to several calls yesterday.