DEVELOPING INFRASTRUCTURE A NECESSITY NOT A LUXURY By John Denny Observer Reporter
(St. Johns Parish, Nevis) – Building new roads and developing infrastructure is essential to the development of the island, according to the Hon. Deputy Premier and the Minister of social Development Hensley Daniel. The minister made the statement at a recent visit to Golden Grove Housing Development where 500 meters of new road is currently under construction. “There was a view that the provision of the road is a luxury, I don’t think so. I think the provision of the road is a basic amenity which helps to facilitate access and every great country is built on a good transport system. So our people here can access the other communities easily,”he said “I want to say again we remain committed to ensuring that all of the people we represent are sufficiently provided for.”Building roads and infrastructure in the new development is an investment in the community and helps bolster property values, the minister said. “In us (NIA) you have a government and a representative who is sensitive to the needs of the working people in the community, sensitive to the needs of the ordinary people of the community, he said. “We continue to say the road to development is the development of roads and we believe the houses here would be devalued if the roads were left in a permanent state of disrepair.”Contracts/Projects Manager of Surrey Paving and Aggregate Mr. Desmond Lewis also visited the new development with the minister said the road construction should be completed by today (May 29.) “We are here to report that we are working in conjunction with the Nevis Housing and Lands Development Corporation (NHLDC) with a view to developing infrastructure with a few housing developments within the Nevis area,’said Lewis. “We are placing curb and slipper drainage along with a proper base and what we are going to place priming as soon as we have finished the base. This work in conjunction with good negotiations with the people from NHLDC will cost approximately US$55,000.”
