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GuySuCo floods Success lands to ‘flush-out’ squatters
Sections of the flooded Success lands. (Photo Credit: R. D. Productions)
Kaieteur News – Lands occupied by squatters at Success, East Coast of Demerara (ECD) are now heavily flooded following a decision earlier this week by the Guyana Sugar Corporation Incorporated (GuySuCo) to do so.
In light of the flooding, several squatters have vacated the lands, claiming that it was a move by GuySuCo to get rid of them. However, a significant number of them have decided to stay put, insisting that the water will not hamper their existence.
When contacted yesterday, a GuySuCo official, who was in charge of releasing the water, said that the lands are being prepared for the planting of sugar cane.
The official explained that the objective was never to remove the squatters and, as far as he knows, it was just to prepare the lands for use. The official said he was only fulfilling what was required of him.
It was reported that a number of squatters sought to attack those who were apart of the flooding exercise but ranks of the police force quickly intervened.
Also speaking on the matter was acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sasenarine Singh, who told the Department of Public Information (DPI) yesterday that GuySuCo is mandated by the government to prepare the lands for cultivation. It was stated that the government hopes to restart operations at the Enmore Sugar Factory as early as 2022 and assiduous moves are being made to meet that deadline.
“GuySuCo is not a housing agency. We are an agricultural agency and our exclusive business is in the cultivation and production of sugar and value-added sugar related products, and that is all we are trying to do in a legal and a legitimate way,” the CEO told DPI.
Singh nevertheless empathized with the squatters who have been affected, adding that steps were taken by the Housing Ministry to assist them in legally obtaining lands. He, moreover, urged them to relocate.
The corporation had issued a notice to squatters occupying the East Coast lands which included Success, Vryheid’s Lust and Chateau Margot, warning them that the lands were a part of GuySuCo’s Cane Breeding and Research Station at the Enmore/La Bonne Intention Estate. GuySuCo also stated that the lands are being used to cultivate new cane varieties for the industry.
They claimed that over 17 years of priceless research work worth over $2 billion were destroyed by the illegal occupants, as many of them burned lands to clear it and construct their homes.
GuySuCo has been trying to get the squatters out of the area since September of this year. The first instance was during a visit to the Success area by GuySuCo and the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) officials. This resulted in a stand-off between the officials and the squatters that required police intervention then too. Following that protest action, several others erupted over the following weeks as squatters maintained that unless they were given lands, they were not moving.
A housing drive was held by the Housing Ministry subsequently to enable the squatters to legally obtain their own lands, but many of them contended that even though it was a good initiative, they would not be receiving these lands urgently and would still be without a place to live if they moved.
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