May 17, 2016: The Honourable Anthony Garcia, Minister of Education is confirming that a team from his Ministry will be visiting the Rousillac Hindu School next week to discuss the issue of the students’ current temporary location. Recently, parents of the school visited the Ministry asking for intervention to address issues at the community centre where students are currently being accommodated.
Following the protest, Mr. Harrilal Seecharan, Chief Education Officer of the Ministry of Education met with the parents of theschool andtoldthem thatMinistry officials will be visiting the community centre,by next week. On the issue of the school’s construction, Minister Garcia stated that the Rousillac Hindu School still requires approvals from Town and Country Planning, Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC), Water and Sewerage Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (WASA) and the Ministry of Works and Transport.
In addition,in light of the considerable funds still owed to contractors the Minister stated, “We are trying our best to come to terms to see how quickly we can pay our contractors. When some of these works are halted or slowed the contractors, under agreement, have the right to add penalties to the cost so that the money owed is really a sanitised figure.”
Minister Garcia said he is hoping that the outstanding amount can be settled soon. He said, “We are hoping that in the not too distant future, for the latest by June this year, funds will be released so that contractors will be paid.”
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