Residents of Black Bush Polder have voiced their concerns in regards to a plot of land located in Yakusari, Black Bush Polder, which has been used for many years as a play field, but was recently leased to villagers of the said area.
According to residents, the village has an active cricket team, as well as other youths, who would make regular use of the play field.
Regional Chairman of Region Six, David Armogan, told Stabroek News that the Neighbourhood Democratic Council made a major blunder, as they failed many years ago to apply for the area as a playground, and in the process alert the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission that the land was being used as a playground
“So based on the Lands and Surveys map, they thought that area was a vacant area, because it is not recorded on the Lands and Surveys map as a playground, which it should have been demarcated there as a playground,” Armogan explained.
“People apply, and Lands and Surveys not knowing, they identified that area vacant for house lots, so they give leases to a few people to occupy the playground, which should not have happened,” he lamented.
According to Armogan, some villagers have already started construction on the playfield.
“Some of them got land on the middle of the playfield, on the pitch itself”, Armogan pointed out.
Meanwhile, the chairman noted that in order to rectify the issue, he has taken it upon himself to write to the President, the Ministry of Communities and the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys to get them involved in the matter.
“I got a reply recently that it is now engaging the [attention of the] Lands and Surveys Commission, to see what alternative can be made in terms of the leases.”
One alternative, Armogan highlighted, is leasing land in a different location to the residents, and cancelling the leases to the playground land.
