The Ministry of Housing and Water on Saturday served residents of the Cane View/Herstelling (Mocha) squatting area with what it said was a final two weeks’ notice to vacate the lands that are to be used for construction of the Eccles to Great Diamond Highway.
The notice was published in the Stabroek News. According to the notice, to date more than twenty families have relocated to nearby residential areas and have rebuilt new homes through government compensation. Five individuals remain non-compliant and continue to stall this development plan.
In a telephone interview with Stabroek News yesterday, Anneita Beaton, a resident whose name is listed among the five, explained that a few days ago Ministry officials visited 9th Field also known as Wrong Turn but did not visit Pepper Hill (Mocha) where she is located. Beaton stated that they did not receive notices from the Ministry and more than five families are currently occupying lands in that area.
On October 9th, the Ministry accused seven families of squatters at Cane View/Herstelling (Mocha) of impeding plans for the Eccles to Great Diamond Four-Lane Highway and gave them a final grace period of two weeks to vacate the area. That period elapsed without any action being taken.
In a full-page advertisement in the October 9th Sunday Stabroek, the ministry said “We call on residents to put personal and political agendas aside and see the development vision the Government is working towards. The Government of Guyana remains committed to working with the squatters, as we work towards the provision of housing solutions for all”.
It outlined a series of efforts made to regularise the area and relocate families to new zones but said that “persons continue to use this sensitive matter as a political football, much to the disadvantage of those involved in this illegal activity”.
The ministry had said that to date, $250m has been disbursed as compensation for families that have moved and $5.1m was given as compensation for crops.
The advertisement said that 20 families have relocated from the Block `X’ Portion, Plantation Herstelling and accepted compensation while the seven remaining families “continue to be defiant and making unreasonable demands”.
The ministry said that their actions have resulted in the stalling of a massive development project.
The ministry provided a sequence of interventions stretching as far back as May 2008 when there was an engagement with Mocha residents. The process recommenced in earnest in September 2021 when land was identified for those who were prepared to relocate. In December 2021 house lots were allocated to the beneficiaries and cheques equivalent to the current market value for properties, site improvement and displacement costs were handed over to squatters.
This year, the Central Housing and Planning Authority also facilitated the application process to the Guyana Water Inc and the Guyana Power and Light for services in the areas to where the squatters were relocated. Of the remaining 15 families, the ministry said that eight are at varying stages of relocation while seven remain non-compliant.
On October 16th, when Stabroek News visited the area, the squatters said that they were not satisfied with the offer to them and they won’t be able to undertake any commercial activity where they are to be relocated.
One resident related: “they say they would make everybody here comfortable and would compensate and make everybody satisfied and everything, somebody come and do a valuation but them valuation can’t pay people. Them ain’t coming to tell people nothing and we ain’t receive no notice”.
