Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has denied that the Government is discriminating against people living in areas like East Port of Spain, Diego Martin and Laventille.

Responding to allegations made by People's National Movement MP Marlene McDonald in the budget debate, Persad-Bissessar said it was untrue to say that Government was only putting projects in certain parts of the country.

"It does not matter what space, place or race you belong to, our vision is for every citizen of Tobago and Trinidad... So whether you live in Laventille or Longdenville, whether you live in Cedros or Charlotteville, whether you live in Point Fortin or Parlatuvier, it does not matter," she said.

The PM said her Government has embarked upon a programme of people-centred development, the likes of which the country had never seen before.

"And so, in little villages, in remote areas, in rural communities, in areas hitherto overlooked, underdeveloped, we have brought development for the first time in Trinidad and Tobago," she said to desk-thumping.

"When for 40 years and 50 years and 60 years there were communities in this country who got absolutely nothing, not a word was said...today, any part of Trinidad that you go in, any part of Tobago you go into, you will see development taking place," she added.

But the Prime Minister also stressed that Government was not leaving out Port of Spain.

She said the Point Fortin Highway would benefit everyone, coming from north to south.

And the budget also contained plans to develop the north-west peninsula as well.

"Nothing is further from the truth than to say that we are developing only certain sectors. That is a kind of coded way of speaking, you know it is coded, and it is very dangerous. The documents in black and white, the empirical evidence will bear out that those statements (by McDonald) are totally false and without merit", she said.

The Prime Minister said there was construction everywhere —new buildings, road paving, box drains, schools, health centres and water lines—in every single part of T&T. "And we will go in the north-west peninsula, in the south-west peninsula, we will go up to the east, north-east and north-west," she said.