.png)
By Halshane Burke
The government is to spend some $70 million to operationalise the police station in Green Acres, St. Catherine.
Despite completion, the building remains unoccupied due to flooding of lands leading to the station.
Supported by a donation from the residents, the government spent $65 million to construct the station.
Speaking in the Standing Finance Committee on Wednesday, National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang said the community submitted a design for the station which was adjusted to suit the purpose of the police force.
According to Dr. Chang, the planners indicated that while there was flooding on the roads leading to the station, the station itself would not have been affected by the floodwaters.
The National Security Minister said work will be done to have the station occupied by the last quarter of this year.
He said the design to get water away from the building will cost $60 million while another $10 million will be spent to "tidy up the station for occupancy".
But Opposition Member Mikael Phillips has called for the relevant parties to be held accountable for what he terms the "fiasco" with the Green Acres police station.
Mr. Phillips said the station in its current state is a waste of taxpayers' money.
Dr. Chang agreed that "somebody in the technical team should be held accountable" but said the government is more focused at this time on ensuring that the money already spent on the property will not be wasted.
All feeds
