The United National Congress (UNC) has rebranded its "October Revolution," Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal told residents of Ramai Trace, Debe, demanding the completion of the Ramai Trace Hindu Primary School.
It is now the "People’s Revolution." While it may have a new name, Moonilal promised the movement will be equally vibrant.
An irate Moonilal told the media, “We (the opposition) have been fighting for the completion of this school since 2015.
“This morning, we are calling through a peaceful protest in keeping with our People’s Revolution campaign…for the government to take action immediately.
“Parents have said enough is enough. This very peaceful and silent demonstration is to convey to the authorities that the construction of this school should be completed.”
In 2014, students of the old school were first relocated to Monkey Town Primary School in Barrackpore when the People’s Partnership government (PP) started rebuilding the school because of infrastructural problems.
[caption id="attachment_924685" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Opposition MP Dr Roodal Moonilal caught between vines at the incomplete construction Ramai Trace Hindu Primary School in Debe. - Marvin Hamilton[/caption]
But because of space issues at Monkey Town Primary, the students were then relocated to the Hanuman Milan Mandir on Penal Rock Road.
Construction of the new school was reportedly over 90 per cent complete when the People’s National Movement (PNM) won the 2015 election.
Construction reportedly stopped soon afterwards.
When Newsday surveyed the abandoned school compound on Tuesday, it was overgrown with bush, there were cracks in the walls of the main buildings and rusted materials littered the deserted classrooms.
Moonilal thinks the deserted classrooms represent something much more sinister than wasted public funds.
He lamented, “They have allowed this school to deteriorate and they have allowed the buildings to deteriorate.
“As a school is closed, a jail cell is open and therefore we must ensure that during this downtime the school is completed.”
Moonilal dismissed claims it was investigations into the activities of the PP government relating to the school’s construction which stalled completion of the work.
[caption id="attachment_924684" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A group of protesters on Tuesday morning. - Marvin Hamilton[/caption]
If this was the case, he said, there would have already been matters in court regarding the school’s construction, against former PP officials
“That is just a meek excuse for their victimisation and discrimination against the people of Oropouche East.
“When they (the PNM) came into power, they criminalised and demonised everyone associated with (PP) construction, whether it was paving roads, building schools or hospitals. They took an approach to stall all these projects because they were undertaken by the partnership.”
Instead, Moonilal said the government should be asking itself what it wasdoing with the funds that have been allocated for the p
