HC Suhag satisfied with ongoing projects under the Indian grant |02 September 2020

Indian high commissioner to Seychelles, General Dalbir Singh Suhag has expressed his satisfaction with completed projects and those in progress under the Indian government grant allocation to the government of Seychelles

He made the statement yesterday afternoon while on a visit, accompanied by the secretary of state for foreign affairs and the blue economy, Ambassador Barry Faure, to a road construction in progress at Anse Royale and areas for proposed projects in the district of Cascade.

The ongoing project and proposed projects in the two districts are part of a cash grant of R35 million to the Seychelles government to carry out small community high impact projects on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue. The grant from the Indian government to the government of Seychelles was initiated and signed in June 2018 during President Danny Faure’s official state visit to India.

Also present at Grande Rivière were former member of the National Assembly for Anse Royale, Sylvanne Lemiel, chief executive of the Seychelles Land Transport Agency (SLTA) Parinda Herath and other officials from the Indian high commission, department of foreign affairs and SLTA.

The first phase of the 230-metre Grande Rivière road at Anse Royale, which started in February 2020, is being constructed by Earth Development at a cost of around R3.6 million. With 65% of the job completed, the road is to benefit 13 families in the area.

If all goes well and taking into consideration the ongoing negotiation with the Public Utilities Corporation (PUC) regarding the removal of an asbestos cement pipe in the area, the road is expected to be completed before December 2020, SLTA engineer Janice Ladouceur told Seychelles NATION.

The next phase of the project is an additional 400-metre standard and modern motorable road to further benefit around 50 families and allow for further development while it networks with other roads in the area as far as Cap Bonm Zan. Residents in that particular location have to go through treacherous rocky footpath from their residential properties to carry their daily shopping over this rough terrain especially during bad weather.

Without Mrs Lemiel, the delegation then headed to the Cascade district and was met by the ex-leader of government business and ex-elected member for Cascade in the National Assembly, Charles Decomarmond and district administrator Lilianne Biong to visit a proposed area, uphill to upper Talbot, for the second phase of construction of the Octave road.

The first phase was sponsored by government at a cost of R1.6 million. The second phase, of an additional length of 60 metres and with parking space, will be constructed by United Concrete Products Seychelles (UCPS) at a cost of R1 million. It is to benefit the five families living in the area which will also see future housing development.

After visiting the proposed area for the second phase of construction of the Octave road, the delegation went to the visit another proposed site, behind the district administrative office, for the construction of a new community centre and day care centre. The two projects combined is to cost R10 million and this sum includes the cost for renovation work of the district administration office.

Director general for projects and maintenance in the local government department, Daniel Adeline, said that government will contribute R3 million while the Indian government will contribute R7 million as grant towards the project. The community centre was destroyed by fire in 2014.

At upper Petit Paris, the delegation was met by the principal secretary for infrastructure, Yves Choppy, for the visit to a proposed area for the construction of a proper motorable access road with proper drainage.

The proposed area for the construction of the 200-metre motorable road to serve six families who currently only have a footpath access, is estimated to cost around R2.06 million. It will also serve for future housing development in the area.

HC Suhag said he was very satisfied with the work taking place on the road at Grande Rivière and of all the other projects completed or in progress under the grant assistance.

Noting that the projects are well on track, he said that his government will support the other projects being proposed in the Cascade district and those to be approved in other districts because “they are all going to benefit local people as the grant is to serve the community”.

He also noted that 18 community-based projects out of the 33 initial projects under the grant in phase one have been completed and some have been inaugurated.

He added that with the completion of the 33 projects in phase one, the selection of phase two projects will get underway.

The accompanying photos show some highlights of the projects visited.

Text and photos: Patrick Joubert