Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal yesterday led a team from his Ministry and the Regional Administration of Region Three to the West Coast of Demerara where they met with a number of squatters and other residents with the aim of working out land ownership issues.
A statement from the Ministry said that the team consisted of Regional Chairman, Inshan Ayube; Community Develop-ment Director Gladwin Charles; Projects Coordinator of the Ministry of Public Works Dennis Ramsingh; other regional officials and a team from the Central Housing and Planning Authority. They conducted a series of meetings at Anna Catherina, Uitvlugt, Stewartville Sideline Dam, Zeelugt Sideline Dam and Tuschen.
The Ministry, through its Community Development and Planning Department, is progressing with the regularisation and relocation process in a number of areas across the country.
The statement said that Croal related that the relocation and regularization process is a key component of the government’s overall housing drive, adding that while there is a zero-tolerance approach for squatting, the Ministry remains committed to fixing the issues by offering persons the opportunity to acquire homes through the right process.
He however, pointed out that even as the Ministry does its part and regularizes where possible, in some instances persons will have to be relocated as they are hindering key infrastructure development. The Ministry said that those developments are necessary for the advancement of the country as a whole, as squatting structures are stalling sea defence works in Region Three.
In Anna Catherina, some 43 households have been identified and notified that they will be relocated while 19 families will be regularized. For that area, the Block and Occupational Survey has been completed while the plan is expected to be finalized within another two weeks, according to the Ministry.
Another 82 families which have occupied lots and homes at the Uitvlugt/ Stewartville Sideline Dam have been informed that by mid-November, the Ministry will proceed with the processing of titles/transport for their properties. The Ministry said that for decades the residents have been without ownership documents as the ownership of the land was in question.
Also, relocation has been discussed and an area identified for 10 families who have taken up residence at Zeelugt Sideline Dam also known as ‘Silk Cotton Tree area’. Similar interventions have been made for families at the Tuschen Sea Defence area.
Meanwhile, persons have been encouraged to play their part in addressing the issue by applying to the Ministry and going through the right channel for a house lot or their preferred housing option.
The Ministry added that it remains committed to advancing the issuing of ownership documents for lands under its purview and regularizing squatters where possible and relocating in instances where it is necessary.
