Georgetown, GINA, January 7, 2011
Source - GINA
A lot of investment has been made in the 10 administrative regions to boost development within and, Region Three, Essequibo Islands/West Demerara has benefitted from this investment as during the 2000 and 2010, more than $15B was spent in the region’s housing sector, creating more than 23,600 houselots and bringing benefits to over 97,700 people.
Some of the areas that have benefitted from development include Zeelugt North and South, Tuschen North and South, Tuschen Phase One and Two, Parfaite Harmonie, Onderneeming, Uitvlugt, Westminster, Recht Door Zee, Belle West, Plantation One and Two, Anna Catherina and Cornelia Ida.
Leonora
In this West Coast Demerara village where an old sugar estate existed, this has been transformed into a housing scheme. Government, however, has tried as far as possible to retain the historical significance of the estate. The sum of $85M was earmarked for the development of approximately 240 house lots in Leonora.
The $293.5M Leonora Secondary SchoolThe Housing Ministry is currently engaged with the Guyana Power and Light Company, to commence work on the electricity network. The cost of installing electricity is estimated to be $14.5M. The water network has already been installed but has to be connected to the mains.
Infrastructure
The area is one that will benefit from the Community Roads Improvement Programme (CRIP) project that will cater for over 200 roads in Regions 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Forty nine roads that amount to 23.36 km are to be upgraded to DVSC or Asphalted Concrete standard in Tuschen/Uitvlugt, Stewartville/Cornelia Ida and Best/Klien-Pouderoyen Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs). The Region 3 investment under this programme is $639.5M. Additionally, under the road projects last year, $139M was spent.
In the Uitvlugt NDC several roads have been completed at a cost of $125M.
An exterior view of the Leonora Technical InstituteThe expansion of the Leonora scheme is expected to put additional pressure on the area’s existing well, however due to the integrated water management system developed over the years, all wells within the area would be interlinked, so that the pressure volume would be spread out and not be loaded on the one system itself. The capacity to supply this area would not be affected.
Leonora is an area that has seen tremendous investment, with a new Technical Institute built at a cost of $427M and a large investment in a new multi-purpose, synthetic athletic track, for which the foundations have already been laid.
A new Diagnostic Centre erected at a cost of more than $110M, a Magistrate’s Court, and the new Leonora Secondary School that costs $293M are all part of the massive developmental works in Region 3.
The Leonora Diagnostic Centre