Thirty-one farmers receive land leases through Region 5 ministerial outreach

Apr 28, 2019 News

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Several Ministers of government and representatives of government agencies brought their services to the people of West Coast Berbice, Region Five at the compound of the Fort Wellington, Regional Democratic Council, last week.
This was part of a ministerial outreach campaign staged in several locations in West Berbice and East Coast Demerara on Thursday.
From several interviews done, it can be said that scores of patrons left satisfied, having their issues resolved. Many who applied for land and were waiting for more than a decade, left with allocation letters having been issued house lots at Experiment, West Coast of Berbice.
Thirty-one farmers also received leases for land in the Mahaica- Mahaicony- Abary Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA), and scores of others had their outstanding issues settled.
The Ministry of Public Health also engaged dozens of young people who applied for training programmes offered by the ministry.
An amputee, Ptolemy Blackman, from Recess, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, also received assistance from the ministry. He was assured of much needed dialysis treatment.
The Ministry of Social Protection and National Insurance Scheme (NIS) were commended by patrons for their efficiency and the relief which they brought. Many received requisite information of the status of their NIS claims, pensions and social assistance. Utility issues were also addressed, and a promise fulfilled by Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton when he donated sports equipment to a group of youths.
The outreach continued later in the afternoon as ministers and their teams fanned out to various communities to have up close and personal contact with residents.
Public Service Minister-designate, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, and outgoing Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin, engaged a well-attended meeting of residents at the Number Five Primary schools. Matters raised there included the need for a more efficient supply of potable water, maintenance of the community ground and assistance for farmers of the community.
Sarabo-Halley assured those in attendance of her commitment to having the issues resolved. She also encouraged the establishment of a farmers’ co-op and a return to self-help as a means of aiding the government’s efforts to bring relief of the once-neglected community.
At Rosignol, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, was well received by scores of residents. He pledged to illuminate the community streets with proper lighting, have an engineer assess the drainage situation to bring relief to the community, and also pledged for the resuscitation of the community’s playground.
Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, pledged to personally look into matters of concern raised by the residents of Calcutta. Among these is rehabilitation of the Burma Road, the elevation of the Abary road, the construction of a bridge between Calcutta and Fairfield and streetlights, rehabilitation of CATRECALAB recreational ground and the fencing of the Calcutta Nursery and Primary school.
Commitment was also given by the minister to provide resources for the clearing of drains in the community.
Residents of Lovely Lass engaged Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson, as they sought solutions to their concerns. They were promised an immediate assessment of roads in the community, infrastructural development in 2020 and the government’s continued engagement with the residents.
Regional Chairman, Ovid Morrison, also informed residents of the more than $7M for ground enhancement in the community. This, he assured, will create employment for residents as the programme unfolds.
At Perth, Mahaicony, Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, spoke to a large turnout of residents after commissioning three streets and one bus shed. Several residents raised concerns about drainage and irrigation, house lots allocation and the need for an additional school bus to service the area.
The Prime Minister assured residents that he would engage the various government departments to have the matters resolved in the shortest time possible. A Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) representative dealt with land-related issues on the spot.
During her visit to De-Hoop, Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally, assured of the government’s commitment to improving their lives and livelihood through education, infrastructural development, drainage and irrigation and potable water.
She encouraged the young people to become involved in entrepreneurial development and to access the government’s sustainable livelihood entrepreneurial development programme. Young people were also encouraged to become involved in the Guyana Youth Corps.
Several communities were engaged and received commitments for improved delivery of services and community development.

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