\nJune 02, 2014 – guardian.co.tt<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cSo I am saying this Government must get its second five-year to properly deliver.\u201d Persad-Bissessar did not directly address Maharaj\u2019s comments in her speech subsequently, but praised the Maha Sabha leader for speaking out on issues over the years and urged the public to do likewise. But in an interview with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Dumas said Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar must tell the nation whether she agrees with that claim, noting its potential to divide the society along racial lines.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to know if she thinks what Maharaj said is correct or has validity. I would like her to make a statement on that,\u201d Dumas said. He said Maharaj\u2019s statement was made at a time \u201cwhen people working hard on behalf of the country are suddenly now seen as political operatives to subvert the Government and thus the country.\u201d Dumas said he rejected Maharaj\u2019s claim totally. <\/p>\n During his speech, Maharaj said the People\u2019s Partnership Government would deliver resources equitably if it were to be given a second term, adding that in the past five decades all major developments have taken place north of the Caroni river. The Opposition PNM have repeatedly criticised the Government of only doing projects in central and south Trinidad. General elections are expected within the next 12 months.<\/p>\n Dumas said he was \u201cdismayed\u201d by Maharaj\u2019s claim that public servants helped to bring down the Arthur NR Robinson and Basdeo Panday governments. Dumas said: \u201cAs a former public servant myself, I feel this is a serious assault on the public service.\u201d While admitting that there were public servants who were supporters of the PNM, United National (UNC) and Congress of the People (COP), Dumas said: \u201cTo give the impression that the public service is full of two generations of PNM plants is very extraordinary.\u201d <\/p>\n He said if there were \u201cso many plants, how come Panday won the elections in 1995 and in 2000, if the public servants were working so hard to bring down his party.\u201d <\/p>\n He said this claim was astonishing, adding that while he served as head of the public service he was permanent secretary to Prime Minister Robinson. Dumas said he did not know if Maharaj was suggesting that he was \u201cthe mastermind behind the defeat of Robinson in 1991. It would be nonsense of course.\u201d He said before he was appointed head of the public service he was high commissioner to Barbados and reported then to Panday, who was External Affairs Minister. <\/p>\n Extraordinary claim<\/b><\/p>\n Dumas said he never belonged to any political party and while in the public service he held no allegiance to work on behalf of any party. \u201cAt no time that I can recall did the PNM ever approach me and say to me that I should do anything to undermine or subvert the Robinson government. So I really do not know what Maharaj is talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n Dumas noted that the population may have been upset with Robinson\u2019s National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) government because it reduced public servants\u2019 salaries and removed Cola. But he said there was never any indication that public servants wanted to undermine the then government.<\/p>\n Source: guardian.co.tt<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" PM must say if she agrees By Richard Lord June 02, 2014 – guardian.co.tt Former head of the public service, Reginald Dumas, is taking issue with a claim by the secretary general of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, Satnarayan Maharaj, that generations of People\u2019s National Movement (PNM) supporters were planted in the public service to … Continue reading Sat\u2019s public servants comment upsets Dumas<\/span> 
<\/a>Former head of the public service, Reginald Dumas, is taking issue with a claim by the secretary general of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, Satnarayan Maharaj, that generations of People\u2019s National Movement (PNM) supporters were planted in the public service to prevent any non-PNM government from getting a second term. Maharaj made the claim during an Indian Arrival Day function hosted by the Maha Sabha in Debe on Friday.
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\nAddressing a huge audience about perceived inequity in treatment by previous governments, Maharaj said, \u201cThe battle has now begun. Any government that gets into office for the full five years, you can\u2019t do anything because the civil servants (lock) you in. Robinson could not last more than five years, Panday couldn\u2019t last more than five years because you got to get past the civil servants who have been planted there by the PNM. They plant two generations of civil ser\u00advants to block you. <\/p>\n