Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha during a visit to the Upper Corentyne yesterday announced that Cabinet had given a no objection to the design and supervision of the 25-kilometre road which will stretch from Number 52 Village, to the Canje Creek, Corentyne, and is expected to open up approximately 10,000 acres of land.
The road is expected to cost $1.7 billion, Mustapha disclosed yesterday.
However, at the meeting which was held at a school in Number 63 Village, Corentyne, farmers, although welcoming the all-weather road project, strongly objected to the location and proposed that the road start instead from Number 58 Village to Canje Creek.
The farmers argued that if the road is constructed at Number 58, Corentyne, then persons will get to access lands on both sides, instead of at Number 52, Village, Corentyne, where they claim that the lands will be opened on one side only.
Mustapha then explained to the farmers that the region was given the responsibility to do consultations for the project. Regional Chairman David Armogan, who was also present at the meeting, told the farmers gathered that he had met with farmers where a vote was taken and it was decided that the location would be at Number 52 Village, to Canje Creek.
“They [the region] advised us that 52 was the area but now we are hearing that 52 is not the most appropriate area, that they want it to do at 58,” Mustapha noted.
However, the farmers present became upset and started to disagree with the chairman, as they intensified their calls for the road to be constructed from Number 58 Village, Corentyne.
The minister then decided that a technical team will return and work along with the farmers themselves after which it will then be decided where is most suitable for the road to be located.
