FARMERS and residents of the little inland community of Moblissa, located on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, Region 10, are pleading with the relevant authorities for titles or leases to their lands.They have been squatting for decades.

The little over 200 residents, many of whom are farmers, have been for years battling with the Guyana Lands and Surveys and other relevant authorities in an effort to ascertain whether their community’s boundary is in Region 10 or Four.

The Guyana Chronicle was told that the boundary separating Region 10 and Four is in Moblissa, but no one knows the exact demarcation.

Like a sheep without a shepherd, the residents often cling to Region 10 as they are closer in proximity to Linden for assistance, but are often told that they cannot receive same because of their community being in Region Four.

Despite the fact that this issue bears a lot of confusion, the residents’ major concern is the lack of development in the community because the lands are not titled nor leased.

As a result of this, they cannot access loans and other financial assistance to develop their farms and homes, because a title or lease is required by a financial lending institution.

Residents are also scared that the lands that they have taken up for decades and built on may be taken away from them as they are not the legal owners.

On Wednesday,the Guyana Chronicle visited the mining community and several residents vented their frustration over the issue, pleading with the authorities to look into the matter.

One resident, Debra Cornelius, expressed her frustration to this publication.

“We all are squatters, I have applied, I went down to Region Four with my papers and ya hearing is Region 10, then ya hearing ya don’t know and I have 30 acres of farm land and ya can’t do nothing because there is no lease,” Cornelius said.

Similar sentiments were echoed by Jason Marks, a farmer, who said he has been living in Moblissa for many years and does not want to continue squatting.
“Is years, couple years well I living hay and I does plant one and two thing up by me deh but we want the lease man, that would help out a lot, is long now we fighting,” he said.

Cecil Todd, another farmer, posited that the residents are yearning for development but the first step to this is to regularise the area as it has been the same way for decades.

“We need lease or land title, one time deh seh we in Region Four, then ya hear we is Region 10, is all kind a thing ya hearing, the only way ya can develop, ya gotta get a money and ya can’t go at the bank and get nothing.”

Region 10 Chairman, Renis Morian and Regional Vice-Chairman, Elroy Adolph, also visited the community on Thursday in an effort to iron out some of the issues and promised to bring the demarcation issue to an end by engaging the relevant authorities earliest.