Dear Editor,
With respect to the article on page 10 of Stabroek News dated April 26, 2010 captioned ‘Ruby woman offered house-lot,’ please be advised that at no time did CH&PA and Region 3 officials damage the house occupied by Ms Vanessa Gaskin at Ruby.
The Ruby Railway Embankment was identified for regularization and a Block and Occupation survey was done. As part of the exercise buildings were numbered and a household profile inventory was done in the area. Faye Burton was recorded as the owner of building 25R.
At present Vanessa Gaskin occupies the building which is also being claimed by Mr Alexander, her father. The household inventory done in 2005 does not indicate that Ms Gaskin was in occupation of the building. I advised Mr Alexander to inform his daughter to visit the Ministry on Tuesday April 27, 2010 for a discussion on the issue, since Ms Faye Burton indicated that when she spoke with Ms Gaskin and her husband they indicated their willingness to remove.
I advised Mr Alexander that if his daughter did not make an application for a house lot, she could do so when she visits the CH&PA. Ms Faye Burton indicated that they once operated a business on the said premises and would like to reopen soon.
During a discussion on the issue on Friday, April 23, 2010, with Mr Alexander and Ms Burton both parties indicated that they would take legal action.
Yours faithfully,
Gladwin Charles
Director, Settlements
Regularisation &
Upgrading Department
Ministry of Housing and Water
Editor’s note
The report on April 26 was a follow-up to one which appeared in this newspaper on April 19 captioned ‘Home of mother of eight damaged by Region 3 ‘demolition crew.’ In both articles it is clear that the allegation of damaging Ms Gaskin’s house was made against officials from the Region 3 administration, not CH&PA. Prior to the publication of our first report of April 19, we were unable to get a comment from the Region 3 administration, although before the publication of the follow-up story, one regional official did tell us that the issue was unknown to the authorities there, a comment which was included in the story.
We had no greater success in reaching officials from the Ministry of Housing for the purposes of either report, despite the fact that in the case of the second, regional housing officials had directed us to put our queries to CH&PA.
