Dindyal statedAccording to Dindyal
| The Mayor and City Council (M&CC) owes in excess of over $1 billion to Guyana Power and Light (GPL). Some $800 million of this amount is for street lighting in Georgetown, said Bharat Dindyal, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).Mr. Dindyal was reporting on GPL performance for 2012 and for first half of this year at a Public Meeting at Duke Lodge.Responding to a question about the security and poor lighting in public places within the city, the CEO stated that GPL does not have responsibility for public lighting. In Georgetown the authority for public lighting would be the Mayor and City Council.He added that GPL empathizes with those involved, stating that GPL held a session in 2005 with the Mayor and the administration stating that they understood the challenges they have with providing public lighting in Georgetown and thus a proposal was presented for energy efficient lighting since at that time M&CC had capital coming in. “We suggested to them that we do a demonstration project for them from Pegasus along High Street to the Parliament Building.” The expectation was that having done that, the savings that they would have accrued from reduced billing for that area could have been invested to provide further energy efficient lighting throughout Georgetown.Even though the M&CC accepted the proposal it did not implement it, Dindyal statedAccording to Dindyal, he met with the Mayor two months ago and reminded him of the proposal presented to the council. Had the council implemented it M&CC would not be in the position that they are in today, with $800 million owed to GPL for street lighting alone.While this was the case the CEO expressed that management is looking into the street light policy and the role that GPL could play is one where GPL can help by setting up proper standards for public lighting and facilitating also for the implementation of this by buying energy efficient lights.He said the law was amended in 2010 so that individuals could come to GPL and apply for public lighting with approval of the City Council and the Licensing authority.According to Dindyal, GPL wants to play a role in providing public lighting to the people since it recognizes the security needs of persons wanting such lighting.By way of investigation GPL found that countrywide there are currently 6000 illegal street lights with 1700 of those illegal connections located in Georgetown. |
