Several Region Five farmers and their attorney, Anil Nandlall, walked out of a Rice Assessment Committee (RAC) hearing yesterday after its Chairman overruled submissions against the body’s bona fides and impartiality.
Last week, the Committee, appointed June 27th 2019, convened a hearing after the Mahaica, Mahaicony, Abary-Agricultural Development Authority (MMA-ADA) claimed that the farmers were in arrears with respect to rent and drainage and irrigation fees.
Nandlall appeared for the farmers and argued that the committee was constituted in a manner inconsistent with Section 8 of the Rice Farmers (Security of Tenure) Act and, therefore, incapable of hearing the complaint.
Specifically, Nandlall argued that the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) needed to have input in the Chairman’s appointment. Nandlall said that since the last JSC expired on September 11th, 2017, it could not be involved in the process, thereby rendering the Chair-man’s appointment improper.
Nandlall had also said that because the Chairman is an employee of the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Corporate Secretary of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), there is a perception of bias which gives rise to speculation that justice may not be done.
In a press release yesterday, however, Nandlall said after the Chairman “overruled my submissions, I requested the Chairman to adjourn the proceedings on the ground that I will challenge his decision in the High Court. The Chairman refused to adjourn the hearing and said, “I can do what I want” and boldly proceeded to deal with the cases before him.”
“The farmers and I immediately left the precincts of the Committee,” he added. Nandlall plans to initiate legal proceedings in the High Court on behalf of the farmers.
The MMA/ADA recently filed a claim with the Committee against several farmers for outstanding payments related to rent and drainage and irrigation fees. The issue is related to an increase in these fees from $1,000 to $7,000 for rent, and from $2,500 to $8,000 for drainage and irrigation, per acre, annually.
