Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai told Swan and Wiakabra residents that each person is responsible for the development of their community; advising them to move to areas being regularised and to access training programmes.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release chief on the list of grievances for residents of the Linden/Soesdyke Highway communities is land titles. Many residents live in un-regularised areas and are challenged by the attendant difficulties including the lack of electricity, potable water, security, transportation difficulties, particularly for sending children to school. The communities also struggle with truancy and school drop-outs and garbage pollution, particularly aback Wiakabra.
Residents also voiced concerns about the deterioration of the lone access road to the area as a recent burst of commercial activity and establishment of a sand pit and sawmill at Wiakabra sees heavy-duty vehicles traversing it. Residents fear that as the road deteriorates minibuses would refuse to traverse there, posing a risk to the safety of school children and women of the area. At Swan, residents said they were concerned about the lack of access to birth certificates.
In response, the minister advised them about the application process for birth certificates. Regarding land, she said this issue has been engaging government since 2004. At that time, during a community outreach exercise President Bharrat Jagdeo had mandated then Amerindian Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett to advance the process to ensure land tenure security for the residents. According to Sukhai, in 2007, $340,000 was advanced to the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission to survey 40 acres of land to be occupied by the 65 families in the two communities. So far, only 10 families have since moved over to the new Swan community, prompting the minister to explain to the remaining families the consequences of squatting on government reserves. She also advised them that utility companies cannot install such services in unregularised areas.
Sukhai also said that while solar panels are being distributed to communities in the interior, requests lodged at her ministry for same are deliberated then a decision taken about where they should be distributed.
The minister also upbraided them about the rate of truancy in the communities. She noted that students in areas more remote than theirs made an effort to go to school. Sukhai also pointed out the number of social programmes government has initiated to ensure that children attended school. She noted that even early school leavers can access a number of other programmes through the Labour and Culture, Youth and Sport ministries under the National Training Programme for Youth Empowerment (NTPYE) and Youth Entrepreneurial Skills Training Programme.
While the minister commended the communities’ commitment to development she also noted that the responsibility lies with each member of the areas. Though both communities do not have an organised leadership and requested speedy elections for village captains, responsibilities are shouldered by everyone.
GINA said Permanent Secretary at the ministry Colin Croal then undertook to provide agricultural tools for the communities at their request. He said the items would be handed over by next month.
Liaison Officer Norman Whittaker, Region Four Community Development Officer Glen Edmonds and Senior Lands and Surveys Officer Michael Hutson also attended the outreach exercise.
