Govt. moving to restore Lamaha Gardens playground bought by businessman to community

Feb 04, 2013 News

The government has reportedly launched an investigation into the controversial acquisition of a huge plot of land in Lamaha gardens by a “well connected” businessman.
Kaieteur News understands that the Head of State Donald Ramotar has mandated Minister of Labour Nanda Gopaul to initiate action with a view to ascertaining how the businessman acquired the land and to examine ways to get it back.

The plot of land at the centre of the controversy

Residents are peeved over what they say is the recent illegal sale of the huge plot of land which was used as a public playfield and community relaxation area for decades.
The land, located at Durbana Square, has been available to the neighbourhood children and other residents since the early 1960s.
The residents had blamed the government whom they said is responsible for the illegal transaction that will now leave them without access to an open space.
But according to a source, initial investigations point to the businessman acquiring the land from an area Cooperative.
The land which could easily hold six executive houselots at a market value of $30M each was reportedly sold to the businessman for a measly $25M.
A Government source has indicated that the administration will go all out to repossess the land.
The source said that there appears to be some deceit in the sale of the land, since it was only publicised in last Christmas Day’s edition of the official gazette.
It is understood that the open space had been for years maintained by residents, and “all of a sudden, we saw a sign that said private property and the land being fenced.”
One male resident, who preferred not to be named, said, “They stole the land.” He remembered living in Campbellville-Kitty when Lamaha Gardens was being developed in the 1960s into a high scale residential area for senior public servants and government officials, most of whom were members of the then Civil Service Association (CSA), now the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU).
Residents have indicated their reluctance to let the matter go unnoticed.
A meeting is scheduled for the new week to discuss the situation and to plan the way forward. Legal action could result for the imminent forum.