Church youth group says Dep’t of Culture responsible for garbage at D’Urban Park
The National Youth Ministry Department of the Assembly of God Church in Guyana is seeking to make clear that it was not responsible for garbage which was left in the vicinity of D’Urban Park this week. In yesterday’s edition of Stabroek News, it was noted that the last group which used D’Urban Park on May 1st, left a lot of litter which up to Thursday had not been collected. Winston Assanah, speaking on behalf of the group, explained that removing the debris, which in a published image could be seen on the grounds, was the responsibility of the Ministry of Education’s Department of Culture, Youth and Sport. “In renting any public venue such as the Sports Hall or D’Urban Park, you pay the rental fee and clear the garbage, placing them in collection bins for disposal by the department. We cleaned but it was not removed and it appears that animals or vagrants have since spread the contents,” Assanah said. He added that after the image was published, he contacted the department and received confirmation that it had failed to fulfil its part of the arrangement. Asked to name the individual at the department to whom he spoke, Assanah refused. The billion-dollar D’ Urban Park facility has been the centre of controversy since its construction. More than a year after the controversy over its construction, it is still grossly underutilised and the stands are mainly used by vagrants for shelter. In response, Minister of State Joseph Harmon said on Thursday that at least once per month various organisations have been using D’Urban Park for activities. He said too that it is being used in the afternoons for fitness walks and by children to play games, declaring: “It was built for the people of Guyana and is used by the people of Guyana,” he said.