Twenty-three plot holders in the MMA scheme who owe around $15M to the authority have been publicly warned that they must pay up immediately or risk the reallocation of the roughly 855 acres of tracts to others.
In a notice in Saturday’s Stabroek News, the Mahaica, Mahaicony, Abary-Agricultural Development Authority (MMA-ADA) said that the lands are in Sections `B’ and `C’ Onverwagt, West Coast Berbice. The outstanding amounts are for drainage and irrigation charges (D&I). In some instances, the same person owes money for more than one plot. The Scheme lists those with outstanding amounts as Dr Kenneth Sealey of Farm, Mahaicony; Brentnol Maynard of Onverwagt; Alwyn Pierre of Mahaicony; Jailall Beepat of Bush Lot; Mohamed I Sheriff of Bush Lot; Rahaman Sheriff of Bush Lot; Mohamed R Sheriff of Bush Lot; Dindyal Joree of DeHoop Branch Road; Mohamed Shamin Sheriff; Celest Moore, Eon Nurse and Davern Nurse of Mahaicony; Alvin Budhoo of Bush Lot; Richard Bourne of Lovely Lass; Eldon Cambridge of No.29; Deonarine Persaud of Bush Lot; Tevi Brijmohan of Bush Lot; Roopnarine Hookumchand of Bush Lot; Mohammed Saffie of Bushlot.
In each case, remarks were appended by the MMA on how the debt arose. In the case of Sealey, the MMA said that the tract was part of a block that was previously controlled by Belmont Investments Limited. Prior to 2007, the MMA said that Sealey and others were renting out plots to farmers but no one was paying the D&I charges. During a re-possession of the land in 2007 the plot was divided up and reallocated. The MMA said that Sealey was given control of the tract with the understanding that he would cultivate it and pay the D&I charges. The MMA said that the tracts are being cultivated by a farmer named Deonarine Suklal under sub-letting arrangements with Sealey and these rates are 6 to 10 times the D&I charges.
In the case of Pierre, the MMA said that only two small payments were made from 1999 to 2013. In the majority of the cases, the land has been sub-let to farmers at rates higher than the D&I charges and only small payments have been made and in other cases none at all.
