If possible, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) intends to start work this week on the land still being occupied by squatters at Success who are refusing to leave.
GuySuCo Public Relations Officer Audreyanna Thomas told Stabroek News yesterday that the corporation intends to commence land preparation soon in line with the government’s plans to reopen the Enmore estate.
Thomas, who indicated that GuySuCo will be needing the land, related that GuySuCo’s main interest is that the land be made available so it can carry out its programme, including the planting of the cultivation. She stated that the squatters were occupying the land where cultivation should be done. She noted that it is a large cultivation, which will be done in phases.
Thomas further explained that GuySuCo’s main interest is the planting of the cultivation, and justified her statement by explaining that they are several agencies with responsibility for different aspects of the ongoing matter.
The squatters had been told on Friday that they would be given up to the start of yesterday to move and that trucks would be made available to them to transport their belongings. No trucks were seen during visits by this newspaper to the community and many of the squatters have said they would not move as they have nowhere else to go.
On Sunday, there were signs of GuySuCo preparing to flood lands occupied by the squatters, with high levels of water in the trenches, blocked drains and low-lying sections of the lands taking in water.
Jenelle Carter, Public Relations Officer at Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), yesterday stated that the ministry will continue to engage the residents.
She said as soon as “serviced land” — land that has road access and electricity and water services — is available allocations will begin.
Carter added that the Housing Ministry does not intend to allocate lands where there is no infrastructure to serve residents.
She also reminded that the purpose of the exercise that was conducted at Chateau Margot Primary School last Thursday, where hundreds of residents who have been squatting at Success and other areas met with CH&PA officials, was to facilitate persons to obtain land through the legal pathway.
However, she noted that there is a manner in which things are done.
Krishan Bridgemohan, one of the squatters, stated that some residents were engaged in a meeting yesterday morning with Housing Minister Collin Croal, which was followed by representatives from the ministry visiting the community to conduct data collection.
Bridgemohan said the representatives collected the names of persons living in the community, and took note of the amount of structures and work started on structures in the area.
He added that the housing officials are to return today to complete the data collection process.
When asked about the deadline given to them, the resident said they were informed that the minister would be meeting with GuySuCo about an extension.
Daniel Seeram, Chairman of the Region Four Regional Democratic Council, met last Friday with Croal, junior Housing Minister Susan Rodrigues, Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn, Chief Executive of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) Radha Krishna Sharma, Chief Executive of the CH&PA Sherwyn Greaves and Chief Executive of GuySuCo Sasenarine Singh, who all maintained the government’s position on the need for the squatters to vacate the lands.
Seeram had said on Friday that he was told by government officials that of some 700 persons who met with CH&PA officials at the Chateau Margot school last Thursday, it was discovered that almost 350 of them had standing applications for house lots and as a result they would be given some priority.
Many of the squatters claim high rent demands and unstable employment opportunities due to COVID-19 have resulted in them taking up lands in the sugarcane fields.
Last Wednesday the police said they fired pellets and teargas at the squatters whom they claimed were hostile to NICIL/GuySuCo officials who had visited the area to meet with them.
