Just returned from visiting some family and friends in settlements known as Balevuto, Nukuloa, Moto, Naroko, Tabataba and Kumkum which are located up to 25 to 30 kms from Ba Town in the interior of Ba. Had some casual discussion with the people there and these were some of the first hand views I received: 1. Bainimarama has built the bridge and sealed the roads up to Nukuloa College which no other government did before. 2. A dispensary has been opened by him in a koro right in the interior which is providing medical services to the iTaukei and Indians alike who previously had to travel to the town or the Nukuloa Health Centre. 3. Bus fare from Balevuto to Ba Town is more than $1 and over $2 for some areas one way. Some parents could not afford to send their children to school before. Now with free bus fare policy for school children provided by the government those children are back in school. 4. School age children are now not seen working on the farms as labourers because with the government paying school fees all them are back in school. 5. Electricity has reached places where there was no electricity before. This is because governments commitment to rural areas. 6. There is water problem in some areas as there is no government water supply and people have to rely on private water suppliers or rivers and streams for daily water needs. 7. Crime rate is very low and cattle, livestock and crop theft which was rife before has been at a minimum with the presence of military in the areas. 8. Mota Sector which is the largest cane producing sector in Ba used to record high can burning incidents but that too has been minimal due to the Armys presence. 9. Cane lorries are able to make 2 or more trips to the Ba Sugar Mill per day because of the improved mill performance and good maintenance of the feeder roads. 10. Lot of expiring land leases have been renewed and because of that and Nos. 8 and 9 above people have started to reinvest in sugarcane farms because there is general confidence returning to the sugar industry. I wonder what SDL, FLP, NFP, PDP and others think of that!! I think these parties should concentrate more on No. 6 above in their campaigns rather than asking what the Prime Ministers salary is!
Posted on: Sun, 08 Jun 2014 08:31:36 +0000
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