By FRANCIS JOSEPH
Minister of the People, Social Development and Family Services, Vandana Mohit, disclosed on Wednesday that her Ministry had to pay a debt of $52 million to save the Children’s Authority.
And she said there is more to clear.
Mohit spoke at the Disaster Relief and Home Repair Grant Distribution at the North-Eastern Regional Multi-Purpose Sport Facility in Sangre Grande where 59 households received grants totalling $651,000.
These grants, she said, affect 198 people. Participating in the distribution ceremony were Minister of Defence and MP for Toco/Sangre Grande, Wayne Sturge, Shivanna Sam, MP for Cumuto/Manzanilla, Dr Natalie Chaitan-Maharaj, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of the People, Social Development, and Family Services, and Chairman of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation, Kenwyn Phillip.
Saying this was the fifth time in the last year she had been to Sangre Grande, Minister Mohit said her Ministry has been busy traversing the country, delivering grants to those persons/households affected by natural disasters.
Mohit said between May 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026, her Ministry has distribution 303 home repair grants. This affected 902 and was valued at $4,407,509. During the same period, the Ministry distributed 1,529 disaster grants. This involved 3,498 persons at a cost of $6,693,158.
She added, “These grants today can allow parents to breathe easier.”
Some of the persons who received grants on Wednesday, told Sunshine Today, they are grateful although some of them feel they have been waiting an eternity.
One said, “I have been to the MP’s office, the Regional Corporation, and I really felt that no one was taking me and my family on. But today is a good day and I am happy to receive this grant which will go a long way to assisting my family.”
Another recipient said she was happy to receive this grant. She said her house was on the verge of collapse. “Now I can run to the hardware and get what is needed. I hope I am not too late.”
