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PM’s representative wants authorities to look into gov’t reserve land scams
Region Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara)’s Representative from the Prime Minister’s Office,
Region Three Rep. from the PM’s Office, Harry Narine Deokinanan
Harry Narine Deokinanan, is calling on the relevant authorities to launch an immediate investigation into the allegedly illegal sale of leased lands.
Deokinanan said that there are currently over one hundred cases where lands leased to persons for either agriculture or other purposes are being illegally sold in the West Demerara/East Bank Essequibo area. He added also that wooden houses are being constructed by lessees and then rented to individuals.
Deokinanan said that persons are ‘getting rich quick’ off of these illegal arrangements. He added that serious intervention is needed since complaints are becoming more frequent.
The representative claims that he had written to the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC) asking for the agency’s immediate intervention in these cases, however, there has been no response to date.
The PM Representative said that his office is looking into a case where a government reserve of 50×100 feet – located on the Tuschen Railway Embankment – was sold twice on separate occasions.
On the first occasion, the land was sold by the lessee for $1.5M and later sold by a relative of the lessee to another person to the tune of $500,000.
Deokinanan said that the land – which has a 15×17 feet wooden house on it – is now at the centre of a bitter dispute, with both ‘owners’ unwilling to give way to the other.
What he said is interesting to note, is that the previous Tuschen/Uitvlugt Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) gave permission to the last buyer to install utilities. This permission was seen by this publication.
Deokinanan added that the previous NDC should have recognised that the house was on a government reserve – before granting the necessary approval for the installation of electricity and water.
The reserve land with the house that is reportedly at the centre of the dispute.
The ‘salt in the wound’ Deokinanan said, is the fact that the last buyer was paying the relevant property taxes to the previous NDC.
“So there we have a government land being sold twice and it all slipped under the radar of the previous council. The same council gave approval for electricity and water without even verifying the illegitimacy of the land. It’s either the previous NDC wasn’t doing their job or, there was massive corruption going on,” Deokinanan said.
The current Chairperson of the NDC, Ranjini Mahadeo, said yesterday that she was ‘surprised’, when the matter was brought to her attention.
Asked how the council is going to deal with the matter, Mahadeo said that she is ‘clueless’ at this point. She made it clear that the arrangements were made prior to her assuming office.
Mahadeo explained that, normally, before any approval is given, checks are made to determine that the home is not on government reserves.
Mahadeo said that the matter came to her attention only yesterday and assured that the council will be working assiduously to address the matter.
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