…cite housing neglect under PNC
MINISTER of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali yesterday met with residents of Container City, East and West Ruimveldt, Laing Avenue, Front Road, Sideline Dam and other South Georgetown areas, all of whom  expressed their desire to relocate from squatting areas. They said they have seen much development in housing under the current PPP/C administration, as against gross neglect when the now opposition PNC was in office.
The meeting is a follow-up to a meeting which was promised by President Bharrat Jagdeo and was held at St Pius Primary School, Middle Road, La Penitence, where residents expressed their concerns as it relates to housing.
Ali said the meeting was organized to form committees from each area to look into the relocation process.

The Minister told the large gathering that after the committees would have been set up, they will have a general meeting where they will be enlightened as to decisions taken in moving forward.
He said too that they will also look at the options of regularization and at mechanisms in developing the framework in the partnership between the people and the Ministry of Housing and Water.
Residents noted that there is no future in squatting and recognised the importance of having transported land which they can use to secure loans from banks and to pursue business transactions.
Many residents asked that their area be regularized, while others requested relocation to available areas.
Ali told residents, who applied for plots of land before 2009 to go to his ministry on Monday.
He requested too that representatives from each area be at the meeting on Monday as well.
Several other concerns were raised by residents yesterday, including repossession of land, re-sale of land, squatting on government lands, and difficulties faced by low income earners in acquiring a plot of land.
In response, Ali told the gathering that having listened to their concerns, the government remains committed to the housing drive, and is aware of the hardships faced by residents in several areas.
He said, “We are not playing with this issue; and Saturday we had a meeting with squatters on the Railway Embankment during the ‘One Stop Shop’ housing drive.”
Ali said, “Housing isn’t just about removing people from their homes; I want you to get the committees to look at the options available.”