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SOCIAL Development and Family Services Minister Donna Cox rejected claims from Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and UNC vice-chairman Khadijah Ameen that the PNM was attempting to bribe people to vote for the party in the August 14 local government elections.
In separate statements on Sunday, Persad-Bissessar and Ameen based their allegations on flyers of PNM candidates which listed grants that are available under the Social Development and Family Services Ministry.
In a Whatsapp response to Newsday on Monday, Cox said there is no substance to Persad-Bissessar and Ameen's claims.
"The Ministry of Social Development is not involved in giving out food cards or offering grants in that manner to anyone."
Cox said, "Thats how the UNC operated when they were in government."
She added that there is a process whereby people can apply to her ministry to access the grants that are available.
"Grants are available to all as long as they meet the eligibility requirements. Persons can visit any of the social welfare offices to apply."
On grants being identified on flyers being used by some PNM candidates, Cox said, "Maybe the candidates intend to educate them (the public) about the grants that are available to them and assist them with their applications."
She said this was all that the candidates could do.
[caption id="attachment_1026969" align="alignnone" width="861"] Donna Cox -[/caption]
"The ministry's staff does the processing and approval or rejection (of applications for grants) based on the (ministry's criteria)."
The grants offered by the ministry include Food Support Programme (Food Card), Minor House Repairs, Sanitary Plumbing Assistance, Electrical House Wiring, SEED Grant, Disability Assistance Grant for Children, Disability Assistance Grant for Adults, Senior Citizens Pension, Public Assistance Grant and General Assistance Grants.
The ministry uses different criteria to determine the eligibility of people for its various grants.
The documentation that applicants are required to submit also varies between grants.
In the case of food cards, required documents include all recent utility bills and birth certificates for all members of the applicant’s household.
For minor house repairs, the documents applicants must submit to the ministry include a valid national identification card and proof of income for all applicable members of the household.
The latter could include job letters, pay slips, bank statements or NIS letters.
PNM candidate: Due process is integral
PNM Cocal/Mafeking candidate Imran Ali, whose campaign flyers mentioned some of these grants, also rejected the UNC bribery claims.
Ali, an employee with the Agriculture Ministry, said he has been working intimately with farmers in the Rio Claro/Mayaro region for four and a half years.
During that period, he continued, "I recognised that representation was at its lowest."
A resident of Cocal/Mafeking, Ali said he was wooed by the PNM and UNC for the elections.
"I picked the PNM as an individual."
Ali said his political endeavours were "born out of the need of the people."
After being selected as a candidate, Ali discovered many people in Cocal/Mafeking were unaware of the programmes being offered by the Government that could help them.
"I picked up that people are really in turmoil in terms of their well-being and life."
Being a very rural community, Ali said, "Some of the people are not in the position to full out a form properly. The majority of them don't have access to computers to look up on websites and print what forms they want."
Since July 17, Ali has been on leave from his job because of the elections.
He said since then, he has met daily with people from 9 am to 1 pm, to educate them about the grants offered by the ministry.
Ali added that all he was doing was assisting his burgesses to fill out the necessary forms and submit them to the ministry.
"I can't approve the grants. Due process is integral."
He said the UNC, which has represented the district since 2019, never helped burgesses in the way he is trying to do now.
Ali advised Persad-Bissessar to question her party's candidate for Coca/Mafeking about why the UNC never helped its residents in any way.
Cocal/Mafeking falls under the Rio Claro/Mayaro Regional Corporation which is controlled by the UNC.
 
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