By Staff Writer
Angry reactions are starting to flare-up from the distribution of home items for family use under the Government’s million-tala-grant per Electoral Constituency.
Complaints of unfair distribution of water tanks and lawn mowing weed-eaters handed out in damaged conditions are among the early ones coming out already
Indignant family members with water tank protests are in fighting mood because they have no running water and desperately need a water tank for relief.
But they are being forced to sit by and watch as families with running water are getting their tanks first.
“We were told to wait our turn for the next order of water tanks to arrive,” one complaining family cried out, unsure of when the next order arrives.
The brunt of the unhappy reactions is the alleged complacency by the village selected committees responsible for co-ordinating the water tanks distribution.
The run of irritated reactions included the reported failure by the committee to visit and brief the families of the handouts and asses the individual needs for each family.
“Families who do not have running water or steady supply should have been prioritised and that was easily possible if the committee had visited the families and make assessments of the need,” the complaints continued.
“What is happening now is families with running water have water tanks sitting idly outside their homes while those who need them urgently continue to struggle with water supply issues?”
Complaints of damaged weed-eater lawn mowers emerged from one of the villages in Savaii when they were handed out to the families.
“ We pulled on the starting cord to get our lawn-mower going and the engine head fell off,”the shocked owner of the new lawnmower complained.
“Another family in our village could not get their lawn-mower to work despite repeated attempts.”
The complainant families did not want to be named, fearful of possible retaliations from the village leaders or the co-ordinating committees handling the handouts.
The village assistance is from the 2021 general elections promise by the Government FAST party of one million tala give away to each of the 51 Electoral Constituencies for village developments.
The promise is far from being fully met with monetary payouts or homeware handouts yet to reach the half a million mark total since it started.
The promise is already moving into its third year where the full payout total expected as promised is $3m tala .
The former Prime Minister and opposition HRPP leader, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, has been hammering away at the unfulfilled promises .
He has also alleged favouritism in the distribution of the wealth that favours the proGovernment Constituencies getting their funds quicker than those aligned with the opposition.
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