Government has started paying compensation to the residents and farmers of Hope/Dochfour who will be dislocated by the proposed construction of the $3.6 billion Hope Relief Canal.
On Saturday, a team of officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Privatisation Unit/NICIL met the affected residents and disbursed about $52 million out of a budgeted $70 million, this newspaper was told. So far, approximately 15 households and about 30 farmers have received their payments, this newspaper was told by Attorney-at-law Moses Nagamootoo. He was tasked with negotiating a compensation package for the residents and farmers who were required to move. Nagamootoo had previously been chosen to arrange the compensation packages for householders affected by the construction of the Berbice Bridge.
Nagamootoo told this newspaper that on Saturday the residents drew a lottery for new house lots, which would be located a relatively short distance away from their present location. He said this will be provided at a cost of $1 per plot of land. Residents will now have up to December 31 to remove from their current location, he disclosed.
Meanwhile, Nagamootoo said that work is expected to be done on the new scheme to improve its infrastructure. He said the intention would be to ensure that the relocated persons had access to the same services they would have had at their previous location. Last month, residents had complained about the bad state of the road in the section of the community where they were being relocated. Speaking about the road, Nagamootoo said the access road is currently a dirt dam, but he was told that this may soon be converted into an all-weather road and he further stated that the internal road in the scheme may be transformed into a gravel road.
Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud told this newspaper that about 75%t of the compensation process has been completed.
He said that issues are now being settled with payment of compensation to some of the farmers as well as to some persons who have to provide evidence of their tenureship of the land they are claiming.
In relation to compensation for the crops that the farmers would have lost, Persaud said while some persons may not be pleased, the process used was a scientific one. He pointed out that this same method had been used when farmers would have been relocated due to the construction of the Berbice Bridge. However, Stabroek News understands that several farmers are unhappy with the compensation being given for their crops and are scheduled to meet the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture next week.
The payment of the compensation to the residents comes after a lengthy delay. In February, residents affected by the move had complained about the government’s silence on the matter. When Stabroek News had visited the community then, the residents complained about them not hearing from the Ministry of Agriculture or NICIL since October. The residents explained that they were last told they had until the end of October to relocate to land that would be provided to them but this was never done and no compensation had been paid to them. However, following the visit by this newspaper the affected persons were invited to a meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture and told they were going to be paid their compensation after the 2010 budget would have been passed.
