Africa-Press – Mauritius. The New Administrative Building (Head Office) of the District Council of Flacq funded to the tune of more than Rs 72 million was inaugurated, this afternoon, by the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, during a ceremony held in Central Flacq.
Built on a plot of land of an area of 12,663 m2, this modern infrastructure will house under one roof all the facilities and services of the Local Authority offered to the inhabitants of the 23 villages under its Jurisdiction.
The Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Local Government and Disaster Risk Management, Dr Mohammad Anwar Husnoo, the Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation, Mr Darsanand Balgobin, the Minister of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping, Mr Sudheer Maudhoo, Members of Parliament, the Chairperson of the District Council of Flacq, Mr Ravi Jugoo, and other personalities were present at the event.
On the occasion, a Souvenir Magazine was launched by the Prime Minister and a video clip on projects of the District Council of Flacq was aired. In his address, the Prime Minister recalled that funds had been allocated when he was the then Finance Minister to build a modern infrastructure with all necessary amenities for the region of Flacq to benefit all the villages under the jurisdiction of its District Council as well as its inhabitants.
Most importantly, emphasised Mr Jugnauth, with the inauguration of this New Administrative Building, the Councillors of the District Council can now deliver on their responsibilities by working in a modern environment and, similarly, the Local Authority’s employees will ensure an efficient service delivery for each resident.
He thus appealed to all Councillors to work as a team for the welfare of the villagers. The Prime Minister moreover expressed gratitude to all stakeholders who have partnered to set up this modern infrastructure in the region and noted that the building has been constructed on a plot of land acquired from Constance La Gaiete Sugar Estates Ltd.
On that score, he thanked the owners of the Sugar Estate for their collaboration as well as the private sector for contributing in the development of the country.
According to him, the District of Flacq has already accomplished an outstanding journey with the realisation of several development initiatives comprising: the construction of drains to curb flooding, setting up of new street lightings to ensure security of citizens, resurfacing of road infrastructure, setting of leisure centres, acquisition of a bus, and construction of a new market fair in Bel Air.
All these projects are being implemented to improve the quality of lives of inhabitants and more projects are in the pipeline such as the setting up of a MUGA in Bel Air and Central Flacq, he underscored.
The Prime Minister observed that the country as a whole is undergoing through massive infrastructural development and the focus remains on modernising the country on the long-run that will, in turn, bring in investment.
He also dwelt on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy which has curbed the pace of infrastructural development across Mauritius over the past two years. Mr Jugnauth however reassured that Government is determined to ensure the progress of the country despite the challenges.
Finally, the Prime Minister spoke about the importance of the health sector and called upon the population to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 and to get inoculated with the booster dose to enhance their immunity level against the virus. He likewise underscored the need to lead a healthy lifestyle and to practice a physical activity.
For his part, the Vice-Prime Minister Husnoo highlighted that looking back at the development history of Mauritius, the country has undergone so far three phases of growth namely: before the accession to Independence; from 1982 to 2016 under the leadership of Late Sir Anerood Jugnauth; and, from 2017 till now with the vision of the Prime Minister to build a new and modern Mauritius.
On that note, Dr Husnoo cited the Metro Express as one such major development project that is changing the landscape of Mauritius and is at the same time offering a modern way of commuting to citizens and is expected to connect in the near future several regions of the island.
The Vice-Prime Minister furthermore spoke about the setting up of an administrative city at Côte D’Or which will house several Ministries and government institutions.
He likewise recalled that the Prime Minister had chaired only yesterday a high-powered committee to discuss the implementation of some 50 development-related projects with substantial funding. This is a clear indication of the direction favoured by government to steer the country on the path of progress, he added.
As regards projects in the pipeline for the District of Flacq, Dr Husnoo recalled that a teaching hospital will be set up to the tune of Rs 5 billion and will essentially provide a higher standard of care in this part of the country.
In addition, 50 projects will be inaugurated before the end of 2022 in this District, he added. The New Administrative Building is expected to improve the Council’s operations and services.
It will accommodate essential services as well as the following sections: Finance, Land use and Planning, Public Health, Customer Service Unit and Cashier’s Office.
The first floor of the building will cater for Administrative Departments, the Chairperson’s Office and a modern and sophisticated Council Chamber. The New Block is also equipped with an elevator for easy accessibility and mobility.
Flacq, the largest district of Mauritius covering an area of 297.9 km² and with approximately 138,460 inhabitants, is situated in the east of the island.
The District Council of Flacq was set up in 2012 following the decree of the Local Government Act 2011. The District Council consists of elected Councillors from different villages of the District.
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