February 5 ,2021
APNU+AFC Region Six Councillor, Shurla Scott-Richardson has informed Stabroek News that, based on her own investigation, Skeldon Estate’s General Manager, Vishnu Panday, has been replaced by former finance manager, Rama Persaud.
Calls and messages by Stabroek News to Chief Executive Officer, Sasenarine Singh, to comment on this development went unanswered. Panday, had been appointed point person/general manager, along with a small team, to create an action plan for the Skeldon Estate since September, 2020. He is said to have tendered his resignation.
Scott-Richardson raised the issue at Region Six’s statutory meeting, yesterday, noting that Panday had been replaced by Persaud. Regional Chairman, David Armogan, however insisted that he had no idea about a resignation. The Chairman stated that the last time he was at the estate with Minister of Finance, Ashni Singh, Panday was present in the capacity of estate manager. “At the moment I am not aware that he has resigned”, Armogan said. However, Scott-Richardson, after the meeting told this newspaper, “You know the protocol after a resignation of having a month or two months’ notice, so that was the period, but he (Panday) did resign”, she insisted.
According to Scott-Richardson, she is concerned because there is some level of “shadiness”, and she is yet to receive the “fullest of clarity” from the officials on the matter. Scott-Richardson said that if an issue is raised within the region, then it has to be addressed. She said, “I think that there is a reason for that because we all know the history of GuySuCo, we know where we are presently, and announcing something like that can cause all kinds of thoughts coming out of the management of the current administration as it relates to GuySuCo and sugar, so I think by keeping that information secret would give the administration some amount of time to be able to iron out their internal challenges then be able to project to the region”.
Scott-Richardson reiterated that it is in GuySuCo’s officials’ interest to provide clarity on the matter to residents of East Berbice Corentyne. “Sugar is one of the major job opportunity in this region, and persons are looking forward to hear something tangible. It is my belief, still, that that amount of money that was invested over the last couple of months, and the type of activities I’m seeing in the region as it relates to GuySuCo pulling all of this together, it is not matching. We are spending but I’m not seeing the value for the dollar at this time”.
Scott-Richardson said that she did notice Persaud, who she dubbed an “awesome woman”, at the location. “So I was told by folks that she would have replaced him. She is there, presently she is there. I confirmed that yesterday… What I would have gathered from the ground is that she has replaced him”.
Last September, Minister of Agricul-ture, Zulfikar Mustapha visited both the Skeldon and Rose Hall Estates, and told Stabroek News that two former estate managers were identified from each location, and were tasked with the creation of separate plans of action for each estate within a specified time frame. Panday had been appointed for Skeldon and Aaron Dukhia for the Rose Hall estate.
