Dear Editor,
I WOULD like to suggest that a urgent and serious investigation, possibly a Commission of Inquiry be launched into what obtains on the strip of state reserve land that is located on the northern side of the Aubrey Barker Road, all the way from east in South Ruimveldt to all the way west, way past Roxanne Burnham Gardens area. This reserve area which was developed after the canal was filled in, belongs to the State and not the Georgetown Municipality who are merely custodians for the area. The land has however, disturbingly been cut up and sold by operatives of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown to a sundry of business persons.

The council had first proposed that it was considering leasing parcels of this area to car dealerships so that they could showcase and display their vehicles, without the placement of any structures allowed. The next thing one observed however, was that this land was being parceled out and sold to Tom, Dick and Harrylall, and structures began popping up, businesses that were unrelated to car dealerships.

Now an attempt is being made to take away the playfield that is extensively used by youths in the area, in order for it to be sold to a business entity. This ought to be the proverbial straw to break the camel’s back. The businesses operating on this reserve, ought to be made to show what documentation they have that gives them the right to

occupy these spots, they ought to say how much they paid and to whom. The open spaces in our capital must be maintained as open spaces. Something is extremely wrong at City Hall, where a ‘cabal’ there has embarked on a land grabbing exercise, illegally converting the specified use of designated open spaces and profiting from the illegal disposal of these state lands into private hands. It is reminiscent of the Farnum Field fiasco, the Bel Air Park playfield debacle and the Lamaha Park ignominy.
Regards
James Mc Onnell