Latest update January 23rd, 2025 7:40 AM
Family denied house lot to build Church
Latchmin Punall, Member of Parliament-AFC
The Housing Ministry denied an application for a house lot by an Alliance for Change (AFC) Member of Parliament (MP).
According to Latchmin Punalall, the AFC MP, the lot was intended to build a church not far from her Good Hope, East Coast Demerara home.
She said that she and her husband, Pastor Sewanauth Punalall, have been operating a church under their house for the past ten years. She said the need to extend to a larger building arose after the membership began to grow rendering the cramp space beneath their home inadequate.
She said that this prompted them to approach the Ministry of Housing for a house lot to build the structure. This approach was denied and no reason given, according to the woman.
She said that what is unbelievable is that their intentions are noble, since they are interested in assisting the community in which they live by not only providing a place for persons to worship but to offer counselling as well.
The woman is of the view that such circumstances should be given careful consideration when making a decision. The AFC is appalled at this development. Yesterday, it drew attention to an issue at Bush Lot in West Berbice where three house lots were reportedly “coveted by the ruling People’s Progressive Party”. According to the party at a press conference yesterday, at the Side Walk café, house lots are meant for homeless residents in the area. The AFC contended that these plots of land were taken by PPP/C to build party offices in the area.
Kemraj Ramjattan, co-chairman of the party, described the actions of the party as less than transparent and the latest act of the corruption by the present government and the PPP/C party. Ramjattan is calling on the Minister of Housing to state in clear and unambiguous terms all the details surrounding the three house lots acquired by the party. The AFC cried shame on the government and called for the land to be returned to those persons they were intended for.
Mrs Punalall is contending that there are lots available in her area and she is at a loss to explain why they were denied the plot. She said that the intention for the use of the lot was made clear, so it was not a case of the family trying to acquire another plot of land.
She said she do not want to speculate as to the reason for the denial, but will hate to believe that their denial was based on her party affiliation. The woman said just as how the party was able to acquire lots albeit by less than transparent means for its party, to do political work it is the same way they should have been considered to be given the plot.
In the meantime, the woman is hopeful that the authorities see the intention behind what they want to do and have a change of mind. But for now the woman said she and her husband will continue to do God’s work and at the same time pray for the current administration that they change for their current ways.
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