–Minister Ali
MINISTER of Housing and Water Mr. Irfaan Ali  has  reiterated that his ministry is working assiduously to have areas such as Plastic City, Container City, West Ruimveldt and East Ruimveldt regularized and that areas such as Diamond, Grove, Herstelling and a number of areas in Linden benefit from sea defence works. At a media conference yesterday, Minister Ali said that during the last high tide period, the sea defence at the neighbouring Diamond, Grove and Herstelling villages was faced with tremendous difficulties due to squatters occupying the reserves.
To date, Ali said his  ministry has been appealing to the persons residing on Government reserves to visit the ministry so that they can start the process of house lot allocation.
He pointed out that of the 63 families residing on the reserves, 40 of them have completed the process for house lots and the allocations were made.
He noted that the ministry is at present working with the remaining 23 families to have their documents processed in order that the allocations can be made.
The minister noted that while relocation is  not an easy process for the dwellers, the ministry is working in partnership with families so that they can get the easiest and most acceptable solution in the relocation plan.
He said consultations have started with residents at Container City and 59 buildings have been identified for relocation. Thus far, 49 of those families started the process of acquiring a house lot, he reported.
In West Ruimveldt, approximately 150 buildings were identified, and the minister said they have been receiving a slow response to this process with 90 families beginning their application process. More than 60 families are required to complete the process.
In addition to West Ruimveldt, East Ruimveldt is faced with an even worse situation, Minister Ali remarked.
“We have 150 buildings more numbered for relocation and, to date, we only have seven of the families in those buildings come in to complete the process so we want to take this opportunity to call on the public to come in. We have our team that is going out there  to try to facilitate the process. We cannot do anything unless persons come in and commence the process of their house lot allocation.”
Plastic City is faced with a similar situation, as 129 buildings have been earmarked for relocation. However, only 59 of those families have completed the initial process and approximately 35 families have been allocated house lots.
According to Minister Ali, approximately 400 house lots are to be regularized in the Region 10 mining areas, and thus far, more than 235 of those have been verified.
He noted for quite some time Government has been trying to regularize and issue titles to persons residing in Region 10, more specifically in areas such as Coomacka, North Hampshire, Rainbow City, Old Cara Cara and Industrial Area.
Minister Ali said the ministry is working in partnership with Linmine and NICIL to have the exercise completed within two months.
Meanwhile, according to a report from the Government Information Agency (GINA), the Housing Ministry has been working feverishly to render assistance to the victims of the Easter Monday fire at Barrack and High Streets, Kingston, which has left 19 families homeless.
One  person applied for, and a house lot was allocated at Parfait Harmonie, Minister Ali related.
He said a technical team has worked with the 18 remaining families to apply for house lots, which they did on Tuesday, and  the interviews were conducted yesterday.
He said discussions with other agencies, including Food for the Poor, will be held to find means of assisting the victims.