After being leased acres of agricultural land in 2019, former sugar workers from Belle West on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD) are facing removal by state holding company, NICIL and they are considering taking legal action.
While they were not initially provided with a reason for their removal, it is now known that they are in occupation of lands through which the proposed gas-to-energy pipeline will be routed.
According to information reaching this newspaper, the lands were leased to the farmers by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) in June, 2019. Fifteen months later, the farmers were sent notices to evacuate.
The notice which was seen by Stabroek News is dated September 23, 2020 just weeks after the PPP/C government entered office. It was signed by Company Secretary and in-house attorney of NICIL, Arianne McLean with the subject line ‘notice to quit’.
The notice stated that NICIL required the premises for its “own use” beginning from the 1st day of October, 2021.
“NICIL, by this letter pursuant to the without cause and without notice provisions contained in Clause 7(b) of the lease, hereby terminates any tenancy arrangement or otherwise that exists between it and you, and hereby gives you the required twelve month notice to vacate, quit and deliver up possession of the premises on or before October 1, 2021,” the notice stated.
It further advised that failure to vacate in the manner requested could lead to NICIL suffering financial loss and damage. “And it shall have no choice but to pursue claims for damages against you,” the notice warned.
Chairman of the Farmers Advancement Cooperative Society Limited, Mahadeo Deokarran told Stabroek News yesterday that since he and others received the notices they have met and written to a number of Government officials over the issue.
Back in 2020, he said they were promised that the land wouldn’t be taken away from them. If they are to move, Deokarran said promises were also made to relocate or compensate them but they were just “word from mouth”.
In a response to one of the letters from the farmers, NICIL reiterated that the ‘notices to quit’ continue to be in effect to all leaseholders.
The letter of response is dated October 1, 2021 and was signed by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NICIL, Radha Krishna Sharma. It was copied to Attorney General, Anil Nandlall; NAREI CEO, Jagnarine Singh and Chairman of the Region 3 RDC, Inshan Ayube.
“NICIL, as an agent of Government is apprised of Government’s declared Gas-to-shore facility which has been earmarked for the Wales Estate and the intended transfer of management and control of the Wales Estate to the Wales Development Authority,” the letter stated.
“In the interim, NICIL’s ‘notices to quit’ continue to be in effect for all leaseholders,” it added.
Contacted yesterday, NICIL CEO, Sharma told Stabroek News that once the notice to quit is “legitimate” then it goes without saying it was a letter grounded in the reality of NICIL’s jurisdiction and responsibility over such land.
“…..If the farmers have a letter from NICIL that asked that they have to quit and it’s a legitimate letter then it goes without saying it would be a letter that would be grounded in the reality of NICIL’s jurisdiction and responsibility over such land,” Sharma said.
While saying that is all he will say on the matter at this point, Sharma went on to state “I don’t know the specifics, I don’t know the letter, I don’t know the individuals involved but as far as they have a letter from NICIL duly signed by an authorized signature of NICIL, then it goes without saying that it will be grounded in some reality”.
Stabroek News yesterday spoke with a number of farmers who said that moving at this juncture is not an option for them since they have invested in crops and livestock and are at risk of losing millions of dollars.
Some also said that they depend on farming to survive and maintain themselves and their families.
75 farmers
Stabroek News understands that the portion of land in question is divided amongst some 75 farmers. Some hold as much as five acres of land while other have two acres.
During a telephone interview with Stabroek News yesterday, Deokarran explained that the leases for the lands state that they can occupy for up to 20 years. “We got a valid lease for the farm land to cultivate…..A letter was sent in 2020 to vacate the land in one year time. Disregarding the lease and everything that was given to us,” Deokarran said.
The majority if not all of the farmers, Deokarran said are former sugar workers. “Is only two years now we cultivating. Millions of dollars…Everybody doing something to enhance themselves and most of them are ex GuySuCo workers. They were told to go ahead and to cultivate and everything when they thinking to close the estate back then….They said they are going to try to keep the GuySuCo workers going in terms of doing any cultivation and so,” he related.
From since they were served with the letter, Deokarran said the farmers through the Farmers Advancement Cooperative Society Limited approached various entities including NICIL, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Office of the President enquiring about their status. “We write them a letter again asking our position…they said the first letter still stands taking into consideration we have a valid lease for 20 years,” he said.
Deokarran recalled that in 2020, a number of parliamentarians visited and spoke to them about the issue during which he said they promised the land won’t be taken back. “…..Many parliamentarians came and speak to us about our land issue. They said they would not take back the land,” he said.
Shortly after, Deokarran added that he requested that the promise be documented. “That is when Mr Sharma through NICIL write that the first letter still stands,” he said.
In light of the present situation, Deokarran noted that the farmers were given “a lot of promises”. “Word of mouth….If we have to move they will compensate us or if possible relocate us but they are not coming and deal with the issue as they should in terms of anything concrete,” he added.
“Impossible”
The farmers told Stabroek News that they won’t be evacuating. Instead, they said they are in the process of seeking legal advice on the way forward and will approach the court if the need arises.
Farmer, James Munroe said that it is impossible for him to evacuate since like many others he too has a lot of permanent crops.
“They write a letter and say that we have to move out everything that we have on the land and that is impossible….We put down a lot of permanent crop, livestock. Remember is a lot of investment done do,” Munroe said while adding “we got a lot of investment hay and it is very impossible for us to move”.
Munroe said his life is dependent on his farm. “My whole life depend on this farm to raise my family and so. If we got to move from hay is like you teking bread out we mouth. All our investment is out there,” he noted.
“We went and meet the Agriculture Minister. We went and meet the President all. All them seh plant, continue plant that how this Government hay is not a Government of bad records to take back any farm land….This Government won’t take back any land,” Munroe further stated.
Like Munroe, Harry Ketwaroo who is 65 years old said he invested all of this savings into the farmland.
“Me nah give up…Somebody must gon got fah come and heist me out or move me out from the land. Me plant so much ah things. Me ah 65 plus. I work with GuySuCo until me get pension. Wales estate one year before it close me get pension. All meh pension money done back at this same place (farm). December gone meh stop wuk. Meh been ah wuk ah school and still do this farm wuk. All meh money wah meh got meh out um in the farm,” Ketwaroo explained.
