No permit for building

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By HELEN TARAWA
CONSTRUCTION work on two double classrooms at Wardstrip Primary School has started without proper approval from the National Capital District Commission building board.
NCDC chief engineer Lou Pipi told The National that the register in his office did not have any record of a building permit application from or for Wardstrip Primary School.
“I have rechecked our register and according to my personal assistant, who’s done the checks, there is no building permit application from or for the Wardstrip Primary School or any area within that vicinity.
Moresby North-East MP Labi Amaiu’s first secretary Sam Philips said work on the classrooms had commenced because they cannot keep the children outside.
Philips said they had submitted the written documents to NCDC and their case was being handled by technical man, an engineer at NCDC depot in Tapot 4-Mile.
“It’s rainy season and it’s unfair for the children to be kept outside on the makeshift tents which is why we are going ahead with the construction,” Philips said.
“It’s KwikBuilt from PNG Forest Products and the contractors have already started because the foundation of the buildings has already been laid.
“The materials are ready to be fitted and the classrooms would be erected right way and should take about three to four weeks,” Philips said.
Wardstrip Primary School received news in February this year that Amaiu would fund the double classrooms.
Amaiu had pledged to fund the classrooms together with a new 15-seater bus for the school at a total cost of about K500,000.
Head teacher Emily Ricky said the old classrooms were demolished at the beginning of July and Grade 6 students were now attending classes under a makeshift classroom made out of a canvas.
Ricky said the children were sitting in the open space being exposed to the heat and the dust and now with the wet weather it would be worse.