KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC—Lower than 24 hours after Science, Power, Telecommunications and Transport Minister Daryl Vaz mentioned he made no apology for saying he has “little or no confidence” within the capability of the Jamaica Public Service Firm (JPS) to impact full restoration within the wanted timelines, Vaz has once more criticized the corporate for offering “flawed” data to the authorities.
He mentioned he had obtained complaints from greater than 20 parliamentarians that almost all of their constituencies had been nonetheless with out electrical energy three weeks after Hurricane Beryl’s passage.
“This leads me to the purpose the place the data popping out of JPS and what’s occurring on the bottom are at odds, and we’ve got received to discover a solution to be sure that we’re all on the identical web page,” he advised reporters.
“We at the moment are going into week 4 as of tomorrow as at the moment is precisely three weeks since Beryl struck, and the longer we go, the tougher it will get for these with out electrical energy,” he mentioned, including that a number of pumps belonging to the Nationwide Water Fee (NWC) “are out after three weeks and several other Nationwide Irrigation Fee pumps that provide water to farmers throughout the size and breadth of Jamaica.”
“The farmers of this nation can not return to incomes a livelihood if they can not replant or proceed to water no matter is left of their produce.”
Vaz mentioned the disparity between what JPS is reporting and what the legislators are saying means there should be a disconnect concerning data being fed to the ability firm’s management middle from its regional posts.
“As a rural member of parliament, I can unequivocally say because it pertains to Portland that what they’ve put on the market when it comes to the variety of clients nonetheless disconnected and the communities nonetheless out of energy is flawed,” Vaz mentioned.
The assertion by Vaz comes because the JPS condemned, on Wednesday, what it phrases threats of violence made in opposition to its staff as they perform restoration work throughout the island.
JPS warned that it will not jeopardize the security of its employees by sending them into hostile environments and that residents of some communities proceed to accost JPS groups as they protest in opposition to the delay within the restoration of their electrical energy provides.
“Simply yesterday, our staff in Westmoreland needed to be escorted out of a neighborhood by the safety forces,” mentioned Blaine Jarrett, senior vice chairman of vitality supply, including, “In one other occasion, staff members had been allegedly cornered with residents demanding that they perform works on strains that they consider would energize their communities.”
JPS mentioned that whereas it understands the frustration of these nonetheless with out electrical energy, roadblocks and protests that forestall protected entry to strains and amenities essential to restoration might trigger efforts to be additional delayed than vital.
The corporate, which mentioned it has restored electrical energy to 95 p.c of its buyer base, is asking for calm because it continues to work to resolve the scenario.
It mentioned energy has been totally restored to hospitals and main healthcare amenities and pledged to revive energy to the hardest-hit communities totally by August 5.
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