Police break up Mahdia road blockage

Last Updated on Tuesday, 5 August 2014, 15:15 by GxMedia

Riot squad police early Tuesday morning arrived in Mahdia where they broke up a barrier put up by residents protesting the deplorable conditions of their roads.

No one else was arrested, but Region 8 Councillor for the Alliance For Change, Naieem Gafoor remained in police custody. He was arrested late Monday afternoon and was accused of carrying out an illegal procession.

Demerara Waves Online News was told that two pick-ups of riot squad police arrived in the gold mining township to quell any further unrest.

About 100 residents marched near the Regional Administration Headquarters to vent their frustration about the poor state of the roads for more than one year now.

Organisers announced that gold miners would no longer sell the metal to the Guyana Gold Board because hardly any of the royalties are being spent on the development of the region.

The Public Works Ministry says the construction of long-lasting durable roads in Mahdia would cost close to GUY$1 billion. The budget currently has GUY$30 million that could be spent on building laterite roads that are very vulnerable to heavy duty vehicles and heavy rain.