PADARATH: The beginning of the end for WASA employees

Princes Town MP, Barry Padarath, the Opposition Shadow Minister for Public Utilities slammed Minister Marvin Gonzales for the government’s callous and haphazard approach to dealing with the woes at WASA.

Padarath stated that this Government has been in office for almost seven years and instead of dealing frontally with the challenges they created at WASA, the Minister instead spent most of his time looking in the rear view mirror in an attempt to mask his incompetence.

Padarath indicated that the firing of 213 managers at WASA by the Minister was the beginning of the end for WASA employees. He added that major layoffs would happen at WASA over the next few months since the government has spent seven years driving the company into the ground and demonizing employees similarly to what they did to PETROTRIN, rather than fix the problems at the company.

MP Padarath indicated that the Opposition has been warning employees and stakeholders at the Public Utilities companies about the government’s wicked and cruel intentions to put them on the breadline and privatize the sector. He stated that every day that goes by, we are seeing the government inching closer and closer to realizing their plan.

The Opposition Shadow Minister for Public Utilities questioned why did the government need almost seven years to decide that they would employ the use of technology in the production of water? He further added why was this not done earlier? Further, he also questioned why is it taking over seven years for the government to address the issue of aging infrastructure, dilapidated mains and pipelines that result in major leakages?

Padarath stated that the announcements made by Gonzales at today’s press conference were full of sound bites but will result in no action. He reminded the population that the same Minister made announcements of an improvement in the water distribution across the country and instead it got worse. Further, the same Minister promised road rehabilitation and this too has not materialized.

The Princes Town MP stated that the press conference held by Minister Gonzales today was really the preamble to axing thousands of WASA employees and very little to do with transforming the sector. He called on the Minister to publish the areas of the country that receive a 24 hour, seven days a week supply of water that he spoke about today, since that is not a fact but rather a fallacy.

The Opposition Shadow Minister for Public Utilities indicated that the government has been aware of aging pipelines, poor infrastructure and poor levels of water production for the number of years they have been in office and have chosen to do nothing. Today the Minister could not give time lines, specific projects and clear policy on his disorganized and random announcements.