Works Ministry accused of discrimination

Apr 14, 2014 News

Five months ago the Ministry of Works made a big deal over a fence owned by BM Soat Auto Sales, which they claimed was hindering expansion work on the main East Coast Demerara carriageway.
The Ministry’s workers, using graders and excavators demolished the $8M fence in keeping with an order from the court.
However, now that the work in the Success area is underway, the Ministry appears to be discriminating, bypassing several other fences that are in direct path of the expansion.

After demolishing a fence owned by BM Soat Auto Sales to facilitate road expansion work, contractors have bypassed other properties along the same stretch of carriageway, which are also on the government reserve.4

In late December last year, Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn had maintained that the fence erected by BM Soat Auto Sales was on Government reserve.
The legal battle mounted in 2012 by Bashair Mohamed, the owner of the business, led to a one year delay in the construction of the four-lane highway and to losses to the tune of some $40M, a figure that will no doubt continue to rise as the delay continues, the Minister had said.
According to Minister Benn, even the 1957 Transport that Mohamed has for his property shows that the fence and buildings destroyed, were in fact on Government land.
Benn however did seek to point out that as it relates to the reclamation of land, the demolition of private structures on public reserve is not limited to the BM Soat property alone but all along the Coast, stretching from Subryanville heading eastward.
According to the Minister, with regards to the other persons living and dwelling along the same stretch of road who are also on Government reserve, a decision had been taken that the Ministry would defer any demolition pending the outcome of the court case with BM Soat. This decision was also agreed to by others occupying the reserve.
According to Minister Benn, while all of the other property owners have conceded that their fences will have to be pushed back, it was only BM Soat who challenged the Government through court action.
“This is not an issue with a singular person….BM Soat is the only outfit on the East Coast who has taken the Government to Court,” Benn had stated.
But now that the court matters are out of the way, there is nothing stopping the Ministry from moving against the other property owners.