A 25-year long wait, yesterday came to an end when 22 residents of Upper Demerara-Berbice (Region Ten) and former employees of the Linden Mining Enterprises Limit-ed (LINMINE) received titles to the lands they have been occupying from Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.
A release from the Ministry of the Presidency said that at a ceremony held at Watooka House, Harmon congratulated the recipients, stating that they had been neglected for far too long.
The release said that the residents have lived on the East Bank of the Demerara River in Mackenzie in houses built by the bauxite company for its employees.
A programme of selling these properties to employees started in the late 1960’s and at the time of vesting the lands to state holding company NICIL, there were a number of employees, who had signed sales agreements, but the titles were never transferred to them, the release said.