Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Sarah Jane Lebrasse
Published on 2024-03-06 03:00:53
After appointing Vicky Bundhoo as the new Chairperson in December, who reportedly does not have the support of the MSM, the Flacq District Council remains at the center of political tensions. There are concerns about governance issues regarding decisions made since 2020 by the former president and current Chairperson of the Outer Islands Development Corporation (OIDC), Ravi Jugoo. The situation escalated about ten days ago with the decision of the National Housing Development Corporation (NHDC) to reclaim land from the District Council in Quatre-Cocos.
The NHDC had identified these lands for the construction of 52 units of social housing, with funding secured from the Saudi Fund for Development. A Letter of Acceptance for the project had already been awarded to a contractor. This caught the District Council off guard, as the former president, Ravi Jugoo, who is considered close to the government and is reportedly running for an electoral ticket in one of the constituencies in the East, had initiated a health track project on the same lands. This project had already been completed, and the official launch took place in December by the former District Council President, Kishore Jeewooth.
Informed sources within the District Council suggest that this issue has raised questions about several decisions made since 2020. It is believed that these expenditures were financed by the Covid Fund, with each village receiving funds to complete important projects. Ravi Jugoo, a councilor from the village of Quatre-Cocos, reportedly decided to establish a jogging track and a petanque field using this money. Some councilors had expressed reservations about using the funds for the health track project, as they believed the District Council had other priorities.
Allegedly, the former president exerted pressure on district council officers to execute his directives, threatening to transfer them if they did not comply. However, NHDC has now requested the vacation of the site in question. Questions have also been raised about the sourcing of the sand used for the jogging track. The lack of documentation regarding the sand supply, coupled with the absence of any mention of donations or funding for the Quatre-Cocos project by the former president, has raised suspicions.
This situation with the NHDC has shed light on alleged malpractices within the Flacq District Council, including abuse of power and non-compliance with the Local Government Act. Concerns have been raised about the use of funds allocated for a Lighting System project, as part of the money was allegedly used for placing lighting poles in certain areas, neglecting other villages in the East.
These revelations have spurred accusations of abuse of authority against the former District Council president, suggesting that several decisions were made without the approval of the responsible committees. The political tension remains high in the Flacq/Bon-Accueil (No 9) and Montagne-Blanche/Grande-Rivière-Sud-Est (No 10) constituencies, exacerbated by the recent dismissal of Vikram Hurdoyal by the Prime Minister. The prospect of a motion of censure against the vice-president, Kavindranath Seetohul, indicates further political turmoil within the district council.
Read the original article(French) on Le Mauricien
