More $$ for disaster relief in new year: Baksh

Community Development Minister Nizam Baksh promised on Tuesday that the Trinidad and Tobago government will double disaster grants from $10,000 to $20,000 in the new year.

The minister was speaking at a cheque and hamper distribution ceremony held at the Prime Minister’s Penal constituency office.

Baksh said his ministry is making every effort to improve delivery of services to the people.

“Over the past few years, it took almost two years for families to get these grants...We are now processing these forms in 14 days and we plan to keep up that track record,” Baksh said.

He added he has been making the grant available to religious organisations to help them refurbish their places of worship.
 
Surujdeo Mangaroo, Chairman National Commission for Self Help, said more than 250 food hampers were distributed to poor families, along with $10,000 cheques. He said the government spent $6.6 million to assist poor families.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said the PNM regime starved her constituency of resources, adding that it took years for someone in her constituency to get grants from the Government.

She pledged to continue to improve the lives of the needy in her constituency and to act swiftly to help poor people of the nation and to provide an equitable distribution of resources to all citizens.