Robert Hart, Parliamentary Reporter
( left - right ) ROBINSON and BUCHANAN
ANGRY OPPOSITION parliamentarians blasted the Government Tuesday night, accusing the administration of callously allowing the disconnection of more than 200 public standpipes across the island.
Speaking on the motion for adjournment during Tuesday's sitting of the House of Representatives, Opposition Member of Parliament for North East St. Ann, Shahine Robinson, decried the Government's action in removing the basic service from 'poor people'.
"Having regard to the seriousness and urgency of this matter, I'm calling on the Minister of Water and Housing to ensure that the NWC immediately restores all standpipes that were removed," Mrs. Robinson said to applause from her colleagues.
She also called for the ministries of finance and local government to ensure that funds owed to the National Water Commission (NWC) were paid without further delay.
Mrs. Robinson said it was unacceptable that the service was removed because the parish councils, through the Ministry of Local Government, Community Development and Sport, reportedly owed the NWC more than $90 million.
She said it was a disgraceful state of affairs since the NWC constantly reminds the nation that 'water is life'.
In supporting her position, Opposition MP for North Central Clarendon, Pearnel Charles, drew the ire of Government members as he blasted the administration for what he called its callous removal of the service.
"The Parliament of this land, you and I must hang your head in shame that babies can't get water to drink tonight," Mr. Charles declared to angry cross talk from the government bench.
Water Minister Donald Buchanan was adamant that the NWC was pushed to cut the water from the standpipes as part of its efforts to become more financially viable.
REGULARLY ABUSED
Standpipes, Mr. Buchanan argued, are regularly abused and water wasted.
"The suspension will remain in place until the payment arrangements have been concluded," Mr. Buchanan said.
He added: "Then we are going to embark on the next phase which is the rationalisation phase which is not a matter of payment or no payment but it is going to be a matter that we cannot continue to afford the abuse and waste of water supply."
Making his contribution to the lengthy discussion, Opposition spokesman on finance, Audley Shaw, hinted that the areas in which the public standpipes were cut off smacked of partisan politics.
