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A councillor from the UNC-controlled Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation (CTTRC) took matters into his own hands and participated in a clean-up exercise on Sunday at the unused building originally earmarked for the Gasparillo Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) centre.
Gasparillo/ Bonne Aventure councillor Ravi Pooran Maharaj and a group of volunteers began cutting and removing the overgrown bushes on the compound at the corner of Bonne Aventure Road and Church Street, Gasparillo.
The structure is opposite Gasparillo Health Centre and next to the Gasparillo Government Primary School.
Pooran Maharaj called on the authorities to put the compound to use. He also raised health and safety concerns.
"Look around. It is a beautiful infrastructure we have here. Only the insects and vermin have been able to benefit from the building. We encountered snakes, cockroaches, rats, centipedes and jack spanias," Pooran Maharaj said.
"Because of the height of the bushes, it is easy for people to hide."
He said cleaning the compound makes it safe, especially for the children attending the primary school next door.
[caption id="attachment_1042610" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Gasparillo/Bonne Aventure councillor Ravi Pooran Maharaj wants the Gasparillo ECCE centre opened. - Lincoln Holder[/caption]
"The main concern for us today is why the building had not been utilised? Why have people from the community not been able to benefit from the millions of taxpayers' dollars that have been put into this building? We want answers because our children are supposed to be benefiting from this."
"We cannot keep doing this over and over. We want the authorities to step in, at least start to maintain the premises and hand over the building."
Pooran Maharaj suggested that the building could also be repurposed for many things.
"The health centre is cramped and this can be used. We could use here as a car park or for the children from the school to play. We want to have this building utilised so people from Gasparillo can benefit from it."
From his recollection, the building was built over eight years ago when Kamla Persad-Bissessar was the prime minister.
"It has never been opened, which is the troubling part of this. Inside, it is deplorable and unsanitary. There are pieces of furniture still wrapped in boxes," Pooran Maharaj said.
"I do not want to go out on a limb and say it is because of political spite. I don't want to say that, but I am thinking that. I cannot understand the thinking of the government of the day to have this building in this condition."
He said it was heart-wrenching to see the building "go to waste."
Someone has to respond and tell us why this building is in this condition and why we are not allowed to use the building," the councillor said.
Newsday called and sent a WhatsApp message to Education Minister, Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, for comment. However, there was no response up to Sunday afternoon.
 
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