PM meets Kublalsingh; tells Highway Reroute team to discuss Armstrong report with NIDCO

Dr Kublalsingh's latest protest

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar met on Thursday with 11 members of the Highway Re-Route Movement (HRM) led by Dr Wayne Kublalsingh, who requested the meeting in a letter dated August 6, 2013.

Kublalsingh wanted to know if the Prime Minister would abide by the 10 recommendations made by the Armstrong committee on the Debe-Mon Desir section of the Point Fortin Highway.

Persad-Bissessar said the matter is before the High Court and explained that she would not take any action to compromise the court case. She also asked Dr Kublalsingh if he sought injunctive relief from the High Court to stop the Debe-Mon Desir section of the Highway.

In a media release, the PM stated that Kublalsingh said he did not take such action because his movement's lawyers advised against it.

She said Kublalsingh insisted on getting a definite answer on the 10 recommendations.

"I said that was a matter for representatives of NIDCO and its Technical advisers. In the absence of the President of NIDCO, Dr Carson Charles (who is out of the country), I said I was not in a position to state what happened to the recommendations," the release quoted the PM as telling Kublalsingh.

She added, "I suggested that NIDCO officials meet with Dr Kublalsingh and his members to discuss what had been done with the Armstrong report.

"This apparently was not what Dr Kublalsingh wanted to hear and despite repeated questions on the same two issues, I remained resolute that until I receive advice from the technical advisors at NIDCO, I would not be in a position to give an affirmative response, nor would I compromise the court matter.

"I then brought the meeting to a close and resumed my meeting with the National Security Council."

Government ministers Dr Suruj Rambachan, Dr Bhoe Tewarie, and Stacy Roopnarine also attended the meeting.