SOHE - TARA PURI ROAD BREAKING CEREMONY

SOHE - TARA PURI ROAD BREAKING CEREMONY

Tuesday 08^th March 2016

Higaturu LLG, Sohe District, Popondetta Oro Northern Province

Northern Province has been ravaged with natural disasters over the past few years which has affected many roads and bridge infrastructures in the province. And early this year, the province faced another of these disasters which destroyed more than seven bridges.

Girua bridge under construction through PNG Australia TSSP 

The O’Neill Dion government has responded through the Department of Works by sending experts to collect data to remedy the problem and AusAid through their Transport Sector Support Program (TSSP) have invested K139 million as a joint partnership to ensure that the damaged bridges are rehabilitated.

Meanwhile, the Open member for Sohe district and Minister for Religion, Youth & Community Development, Hon. Delilah P Gore went her own way with her DDA team to put up roads to assist her people in her district during their time of distress.

After rehabilitating the Sasembata, Awala and Kendata road the in past two years the Tara-Puri road was recently declared open and ready for rehabilitation after intense negotiations with the land owners.

Tari-Puri road was a daunting task for the member since it took almost one and a half year to get the road rehabilitated due to weather conditions, compensation claims and political enmities.

Felling of rubber trees to cater for the road construction

“It will take almost 2-3 months to have the 10 Km Tara to Puri roads renewed with an estimated costing of K1.1 million. And due to budget constraints, the SDDA has assigned only K500, 000.00 which is from the carried on budget from the previous year that has now been used for clearance and grudging only. The balance will be allocated during the upcoming DDA meetings,” said the Minister during her speech at the opening.

Almost K200, 000.00 was paid as compensation to the land owners due to the loss of cash crop like rubber and betel-nuts and other garden produces. The Department of Primary Industries scoped and valued the cash crops and the Value General certified the payment through SDDA.

Minister Delilah Gore and the DDA executives addressing the media during the opening

Now the people of Tara and Puri will have access to basic services and their cash crops can be sold for what it is worth. Thanks to their mother and mandated leader, Hon. Delilah Gore’s vision and the people of Tara –Puri for their consent in helping them help themselves.