Works urged to fix bridge

Islands
Source:
The National,Tuesday June 21st, 2016

WEST New Britain Governor Sasindran Muthuvel is calling on the Department of Works to intervene after a bridge before the Barema station near Bialla collapsed last Saturday.
Muthuvel said the bridge collapsed when a Hargy oil palm company tanker was trying to cross it.
He said a lot has been happening in the province last week.
This also included visits by Japanese ambassador Morio Matsumoto and Sports Minister Justin Tkatchenko.
Muthuvel said three, two-storey, four-in-one classroom buildings were opened at the Walindi, Kapore and Buluma primary schools. These were funded through the province’s trust development budget.
“The Japanese ambassador opened the four-in-one classroom building for Haela Primary School, funded by  Japan International Cooperation Agency with K232,000 under its grassroots grant programme and provincial government funded K20,000 for painting materials and 80 desks for K16,000,” he said.
“The TAFE college is fully constructed, the provincial government funded K1.5 million through our trust development fund and K1 million funded by IEA for various furniture, computers for the information technology lab. We also opened the refurbished Buluma police station and barracks jointly funded by PSIP with K250,000.
“We also inspected the two bridge sites Aum and Kapiura which JICA will be funding for the reconstruction through a grant of K80 million.  Tenders will be called in Japan by mid July 2016.
“Some health centres are captured under PSIP, like Bialla, Buvusi, etc.”
Last month, the provincial government also through the PSIP, purchased K250,000 worth of life- saving equipment for the Kimbe Provincial Hospital and K30,000 worth of medical equipment for Valoka health centre.
“For roads, we are working with Department of Works and New Britain Palm Oil Ltd to utilise tax credit funds to fix our Kimbe town roads and oil palm roads and one bridge.
“Just recently, one of our bridges the near Bialla-Barema junction collapsed while Hargy’s big oil tanker was crossing the bridge.
“We are appealing to the DOW to intervene to make temporary arrangements and also try to include it in our ADB bridge programme.”