CAMBRIDGE, St James – Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader Bruce Golding has accused the government of paying “lip service” to rural development and has made it clear that the matter will form a major part of his party’s election campaign.

“One of the main things that I am going to make a central issue in this campaign has to do with where does rural Jamaica fits into the agenda of the government,” Golding told party supporters at Cambridge High School Friday night.

He said the government has, for far too long, been preoccupied with the creation of large projects, while at the same time ignoring the plight of rural folks.

“We have a government that is so preoccupied with the big things that they don’t remember the little people,” the opposition leader charged.

“The big projects mean a lot.the North Coast Highway, the hotels on the North Coast, the big stadium in Trelawny, those projects have their value and place. but this government has become so preoccupied with the big things that they have no space on their agenda to deal with the little things that affect the little people which could have made such a difference to the quality of life of people in the country parts.”

Golding, who along with the party’s representative for South St James, Noel Donaldson, and other party officials had earlier toured sections of the constituency, argued that if the issue of rural development is not given priority attention, then the communities would continue to disintegrate.

He emphasised that a JLP administration, as part of its efforts to foster rural development would, among other things, address the infrastructural needs of rural communities, such as poor roads, inadequate water supply; and give priority attention to access to education.

The opposition leader also reiterated that a future JLP government would allocate 2.5 per cent of the national budget across the 60 constituencies to develop projects in their constituencies.

During Friday’s tour of the South St James, Golding visited a number of communities, including Maroon Town, Flagstaff, Mafoota, Chatsworth and Garlands were he listened to the concerns of the residents.

High among their grouses were poor road conditions and the lack of potable water.

Golding later told the Sunday Observer that the road conditions in the constituency were the worst that he had ever seen during his political life.

“I have been to some rough constituencies, particularly some in St Mary and St Thomas where the roads are bad, but I don’t think that I have been into any constituency where I have seen more bad roads than I have seen here,” he said.

The constituency has been represented by Labour and Social Security Minister Derrick Kellier since 1989.