Eastern Westmoreland left out of hurricane road repairs, elected representative says

An elected representative discussing Eastern Westmoreland has criticised the Government’s handling of post-hurricane recovery, saying public messaging has created the impression that rebuilding is moving smoothly while conditions on the ground tell a different story.

The comments came in response to a question about whether there had been direct engagement with the Government beyond opposition press conferences, given recent announcements on infrastructure works, housing projects and relief measures for affected residents.

The representative said elected officials often have to press, appeal and lobby continuously for help, because government allocations are the source of much of the assistance available to constituents. The issue, the speaker argued, is not whether requests have been made, but whether the recovery effort has been properly coordinated.

According to the representative, that coordination has fallen short, while public relations around the response has made the process appear more effective than it is. The speaker said many roads were badly damaged during Hurricane Melissa, but Eastern Westmoreland has not received any road programme allocation since the storm.

The representative also pointed to a ministerial announcement involving more than $1 billion, saying $500 million was earmarked for Kingston and St. Andrew. The speaker argued that Kingston and St. Andrew did not sustain most of the hurricane damage, and described that spending as a routine programme that had been repackaged as part of the Hurricane Melissa response.

For Westmoreland, the representative said the allocation amounted to about $70 million for the entire parish, which was described as far from significant given the level of need.