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Contractor occupation of Enmore playfield illegal – Minister Whittaker

Mar 09, 2013 News

 

 

– must relocate swiftly along with squatters

The contractor at the heart of a land dispute at Logwood, Enmore, East Coast Demerara, as well as squatters in that area have all been asked to relocate following an investigation by officials of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.
The investigation, which followed on the heels of an article published in this newspaper last Tuesday under the caption ‘Contractor takes over playfield’ had in fact revealed that not only did the contractor illegally occupy a playground but there are a number of individuals who have similarly transgressed the area.
At least this is according to Minister within the Ministry, Mr. Norman Whittaker, who at the Ministry’s press briefing yesterday said, “We ourselves visited Enmore; myself and a team including Regional Officials we engaged the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), we engaged the contractor himself at the site and there were 10 squatters at the site. I determined and we all agreed that they were all there illegally,” asserted Minister Whittaker.
In addition to the contractor, the Minister said that none of the squatters was able to provide any documents from any source so authorised to give them permission to occupy Government lands in that area.
“So the contractor himself and the 10 persons who built homes in what can only be described as an insanitary type environment were told that they had to relocate,” disclosed the Minister.
He said that they have been given one month to comply with this request.
The contractor on the other hand was told that he had to find an alternative site. According to the Minister the contractor has indicated that he has another site not far from the area where he is squatting. “We have asked him to relocate as early as possible to that alternative site,” said Whittaker.
He noted too that the squatter dwellers have been offered assistance by way of appointments for them to apply for legitimate lands and “it should be noted also that some of the persons who were squatting were in fact given house lots by the Central Housing and Planning Authority.”
According to Minister Whittaker, in one instance the house lot was sold, in two other instances the house lots were leased or rented and in the fourth instance the person would have got a house lot only on Monday.
This newspaper published earlier this week that residents of Logwood, Enmore, were up in arms over what was described as an extension of the lawlessness that is taking place in Guyana.
Residents stated their concerns about the taking over of the area’s playfield by the contractor, a situation that is not dissimilar to one in Subryanville that is engaging the Minister of Labour.
The Logwood, Enmore playfield, they reported, has been taken over by heavy machinery owned by the contractor and a fence has been constructed there too.
Kaieteur News understands that the contractor claimed that he bought the land from the Enmore NDC.
While some Councillors of the NDC were tight-lipped about this development, others denied any knowledge of any sale to the contractor, dubbing his occupation of the playfield as illegal.
Attempts to reach the Chairman of the NDC were futile, as were attempts to reach the contractor.
This publication was reliably informed that there was a private transaction between a senior NDC official and the contractor for a plot of land on the Foulis Embankment, and many had speculated that the NDC was turning a blind eye to the contractor’s occupation of land and roadways in Logwood.
Some residents who queried the contractor’s actions were told that the “Minister” was aware of the situation.
Kaieteur News understands that several Councillors of the NDC’s Interim Body had tendered their resignations over the failure of the NDC to take action against breaches within the NDC.
The Minister of Local Government was unaware of the resignations.

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