MAY PEN, CLARENDON:

An emotional Councillor Winston Maragh told the Clarendon Parish Council at its monthly meeting on October 9, that Springfield, South Clarendon had lost out on a US$1-million project from a Florida donor because of the council's tardiness.

The councillor who had done much of the leg work by getting various agencies including the National Environment and Planning Agency to sign off on certain parts of the project said that Food For the Poor had procured the donation from Florida to build houses for Monymusk sugar workers who had lost their homes to past hurricanes.

Plan to be approved

The sugar factory's management in Vere had identified the area in which the houses should be built - Springfield. Although the councillor for the division is Carlton Bailey, Maragh said that he was asked to oversee the process.

Maragh said that the FFP had submitted the plan to the council for it to be approved on March 19. The plan is yet to be approved.

The money to fund the project has since been diverted to Guyana.

President of FFP, Robin Mahfood, took the matter to Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who has asked Daryl Vaz to investigate the situation and submit his findings.

- A C