HON. JULLAN DEFOE – Parliamentary Representative, Petite Savanne Constituency HON. CASSANDRA WILLIAMS-Parliamentary Representative-Laplaine Constituency
April 4th, 2024
The devastating effects of Tropical Storm Erika in 2015 led to the displacement of most residents of Petite Savanne and the destruction of the road which linked the community to Delices.
Following the disaster, the Government of Dominica gave the assurance that Petite Savanne residents would be relocated and the access route to Delices, and other Southeast communities would be re-established.
In the first phase, the resettlement of the Petite Savanne community in Bellevue Chopin was prioritized with the construction of 353 housing units funded under the Citizenship by Investment Programme, completed in 2019.
However, the Government of Dominica elected to delay the reconnection of Petite Savanne and Delices based on the advice of engineers that it was prudent to allow sufficient time for the affected areas to naturally stabilize and be monitored.
Notwithstanding this delay, the Government stays true to its commitment to the people of the Petite Savanne and La Plaine constituencies, being fully aware of the inconveniences in transportation and access caused by the damaged road.
To reinforce Government’s commitment, Prime Minister, Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit, the respective parliamentary representatives, interest groups and residents from both constituencies conducted a site visit on January 21, 2023, holding discussions with stakeholders to chart a way forward.
To date, several initiatives have been undertaken with the goal of reconnecting the communities, including road clearing costing $2.6 million and construction of the Bagatelle Bridge at a cost of $2.5 million.
The Parliamentary Representatives have recently expedited efforts to restore access, having conducted a site visit on March 19, 2024, accompanied by engineers and residents of both communities. A follow-up visit is scheduled for April 4th, 2024, to finalize logistical and other matters. Thereafter, constituents will see mobilization for the reconstruction of the crossing to create vehicular access to and from Delices through Petite Savanne.
We thank the people of Petite Savanne and Delices for their patience and seek their cooperation in our ongoing efforts to address this matter
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