– 600 house lots to be developed by September
DELIVERING on the promise made by President Bharrat Jagdeo on his recent visit to Bartica, Region Seven, for the housing programme to be expanded, Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali and a team of officials visited and inspected the site at Five Miles. On April 17, President Jagdeo and a team visited the area where he told them there are foreseeable challenges in the process as a result of the topography of Bartica as against the flatlands in Region Four, but he remains optimistic that the progamme can be successfully carried out.
Work will commence as soon as today as a team of surveyors will be on location to complete the Block Survey where more than 100 acres of land is set to be developed, catering for approximately 600 house lots.
Minister Ali explained that the initiative is in keeping with the administration’s drive of ensuring that each Guyanese attains his or her dream of home ownership.
The expansion of the housing sector in Bartica is due to the massive developments taking place in the town, and this comes as an extension of the housing programme at Four Miles Bartica, where a housing scheme was developed recently, Minister Ali said.

He added that, owing to the increase in the population and the boom in the mining sector, there is a critical need for housing expansion.
Initially, Seven Miles was earmarked for the development of the housing sector, but due to the contour of the lands and the geographical layout, the area had to be abandoned, Minister Ali explained.
The minister is optimistic that work will be completed by September 2011, so as to facilitate the allocation of house lots to Bartica residents.
“This area is far flatter and is more conducive for housing development. We are looking to have this area surveyed and to have infrastructure works tendered in six weeks. We are confident that we can pull this project through. I know there are lots of constraints; looking at it, one may assume the time-frame may be a bit unrealistic, it looks very challenging, but we have very competent technical staff and I think we have the drive to get this done”.
The area for the development at Five Miles is known for its pine cultivation project.
Chief Development Planner, Central Housing and Planning Authority, Rawle Edinboro, posited that the design of the housing scheme would cater not only for residential lots, but for the development of a complete community with all necessary facilities.
In keeping with the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), the housing ministry is teaming up with the Guyana Forestry Commission in ensuring that there is minimum damage to the vegetation, so that the forest can be preserved while paving the way for other infrastructural developments.
Being able to own a home is a key pillar of the PPP/C administration; and according to President Jagdeo, the government is resolute in fulfilling the policy.
Thousands of Guyanese today own their own homes as a result of this policy and many more are on their way to so doing.

On the East Bank of Demerara alone, in the vicinity of Diamond, a massive housing programme is at present being undertaken with a target of 15,000 house lots to be developed for distribution.
In 2010, $2.8B was allocated to the housing sector to further government’s housing development.
With 14 ‘One Stop Shops’ in 2010, that touched most of the administrative regions, in excess of 10,000 lots were distributed in areas such as Tuschen, Mahdia, Fort Ordnance, Onderneeming, Hope Estate, Non Pariel, Amelia’s Ward, Wismar, and Block 22 in Linden, Region 10.
President Jagdeo’s determined target of allocating 17,000 house lots by September, 2011, is becoming a reality with only 7,000 set for distribution in 2011. (GINA)