Khemraj Ramjattan ignored the plight of these people 8 years ago
while he was a member of the PPP Central Committe
Mohabir Anil Nandlall: I refer to an article which appeared in the Kaieteur News on the 28th day of April, 2011 and in the Stabroek News on the 2nd May, 2011 regarding a protest by the residents of Cane Grove affected by dust pollution which emanates from a rice mill located in close proximity to their homes.
The Alliance For Change, like a political hawk in search of a prey, has seized upon the people’s genuine plight and machinated it into an opportunity to attack and criticize the PPP/C Administration and several persons affiliated to the Administration. Yours truly was one of the recipients of critical comment.
The article in the Staborek News states “…The residents said that they had filed proceedings in the High Court against the rice mill owner through attorney and PPP parliamentarian Anil Nandlall. However they said that repeated attempts to solicit from him the headway made in the case have been futile. They have said that they sought to retrieve the file from him in order to seek other legal guidance. However, according to them, Nandlall has not returned the file…”
Strangely, those identical statements appeared in the Kaieteur News article. However, in that article, those statements were attributed to AFC’s Presidential Candidate, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan.
For the record, over the last five (5) years, none of those residents on whose behalf I acted had any communications with me in connection with their case, nor did they request their file from me or from my office. Prior to the publication of these articles, Mr. Ramjattan never once spoke with me of or concerning this matter. Therefore, the aforesaid statements published in both newspapers are wholly inaccurate.
For the avoidance of doubt, I fully appreciate the gravity of the pollution problem which confronts those residents, the sufferings to which they are subjected and the health hazards to which they are exposed.
Eight years ago, after seeing their plight on television, out of a genuine desire to assist, I contacted them and launched legal proceedings on their behalf against the rice miller. At that time, I was neither a Central Committee Member of the PPP/C or a Member of Parliament but simply, a person sympathetic to and incensed by the sufferings of those people. Ironically, Mr. Ramjattan, who is now leading them in protest against the PPP/C Administration, was at the time, both a Central Committee Member of the Party and one of its Members of Parliament. Yet he did nothing for them then. Now, in political opposition and in what I perceive to be an exhibition of political opportunism, he has suddenly become their chief protagonist.
In the circumstances, I feel compelled to caution that we must never encourage an environment which makes it conducive for our politicians to use the genuine grievances of our people as a stadium to play political football.
The legal proceedings which were filed were consensually taken to Mediation. At Mediation, upon the recommendation and approval of the Environmental Protection Agency, the rice miller imported from Brazil and installed certain protective mechanisms over and around the rice mill to capture the dust emissions.
At the time, the residents reported to the Mediation that they enjoyed substantial reprieve. I did not hear from them thereafter. Unfortunately, the problems have obviously recurred. My concerns for the welfare of those people have not diminished; these people have suffered for too long. I take this opportunity to call upon the relevant authorities to immediately address this environmental disaster.
The Alliance For Change, like a political hawk in search of a prey, has seized upon the people’s genuine plight and machinated it into an opportunity to attack and criticize the PPP/C Administration and several persons affiliated to the Administration. Yours truly was one of the recipients of critical comment.
The article in the Staborek News states “…The residents said that they had filed proceedings in the High Court against the rice mill owner through attorney and PPP parliamentarian Anil Nandlall. However they said that repeated attempts to solicit from him the headway made in the case have been futile. They have said that they sought to retrieve the file from him in order to seek other legal guidance. However, according to them, Nandlall has not returned the file…”
Strangely, those identical statements appeared in the Kaieteur News article. However, in that article, those statements were attributed to AFC’s Presidential Candidate, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan.
For the record, over the last five (5) years, none of those residents on whose behalf I acted had any communications with me in connection with their case, nor did they request their file from me or from my office. Prior to the publication of these articles, Mr. Ramjattan never once spoke with me of or concerning this matter. Therefore, the aforesaid statements published in both newspapers are wholly inaccurate.
For the avoidance of doubt, I fully appreciate the gravity of the pollution problem which confronts those residents, the sufferings to which they are subjected and the health hazards to which they are exposed.
Eight years ago, after seeing their plight on television, out of a genuine desire to assist, I contacted them and launched legal proceedings on their behalf against the rice miller. At that time, I was neither a Central Committee Member of the PPP/C or a Member of Parliament but simply, a person sympathetic to and incensed by the sufferings of those people. Ironically, Mr. Ramjattan, who is now leading them in protest against the PPP/C Administration, was at the time, both a Central Committee Member of the Party and one of its Members of Parliament. Yet he did nothing for them then. Now, in political opposition and in what I perceive to be an exhibition of political opportunism, he has suddenly become their chief protagonist.
In the circumstances, I feel compelled to caution that we must never encourage an environment which makes it conducive for our politicians to use the genuine grievances of our people as a stadium to play political football.
The legal proceedings which were filed were consensually taken to Mediation. At Mediation, upon the recommendation and approval of the Environmental Protection Agency, the rice miller imported from Brazil and installed certain protective mechanisms over and around the rice mill to capture the dust emissions.
At the time, the residents reported to the Mediation that they enjoyed substantial reprieve. I did not hear from them thereafter. Unfortunately, the problems have obviously recurred. My concerns for the welfare of those people have not diminished; these people have suffered for too long. I take this opportunity to call upon the relevant authorities to immediately address this environmental disaster.
In their desperate fight to get some political attention their size the slightness opportunity they have to prostitute themselves.Like if they really concern about this matter which these people are affected by.
ReplyDeleteIt should be clear by now to Guyanese that the AFC dont have their concern at there best interest.Let me remind you that it was the AFC who wanted to remove many of the old age pensioner from the pension list and also about the racial remarks the members of the party tend to make at public meeting etc,now does this party care about The Guyanese people.
ReplyDeleteThe people must look at the fact first before they jump to support the AFC like first of all did the see support from the leader of the AFC leader when he was part of the PPP government,what has he or his party do as one of the major opposition to for the people,also the citizen of this country need to look at one of the most important fact that Ramjattan was not the one who manage to bring in the majority votes at the 2006 general elction and how he has manage to sink the party over the last 4 years and the amount of corruption taht the AFC is invlove in and they are not even the ruling party in this country muchless if they get that chance what will happen to tghe people of this country or better yet the country itself.
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