CAN you please publish this letter in your widely read news medium, to help expose the injustices being done to Belle Vue cane farmers?
This letter seeks also to correct the deliberate misinformation by the committee of management of the Belle Vue Cooperative society, that Wales Estate Manager gave permission for a non-member to erect a building/office in Field No. 3 of the cane farmers’ cultivation area.

On August 26, 2011 at 8.25 hrs, representatives of the “committee to save Belle Vue Cooperative”, Mr. Balram Balkarran, Mr. Michael Lovell and Mr. Wilfred Mangal had a meeting with Wales Estate GM, Mr. Dev Kumar, at the Wales Estate Administrative office, to verify the information. During this meeting we asked him for a copy of the Belle Vue cultivation survey plan and a copy of the new 25-year lease, and he agreed to give us.
We also asked him, who gave permission to build this illegal building in the society’s cultivation block, inside field # 3?
Mr. Dev Kumar told us that he and Wales estate cane farming manager did not give permission or approval to the Belle Vue Society to erect this illegal building inside sugar cane field # 3.

He said that the Belle Vue Society asked him for permission to put up this building and he told the secretary/clerk, that he cannot and will not give permission.

We then asked him: Can you tell us who gave the permission? He told us, that it came from head office. We asked him who at head office? He said it is the national cane farming manager.

After this revelation by Mr. Dev Kumar, he got a telephone call.  After he answered it, his tone of voice changed. He informed us that he was told, that he should not give us any information and that we should direct our entire enquiry to GuySuCo’s legal adviser, Mr. Frederick Singh.

He said that he is just carrying out instructions. So I asked him if it was the national cane farming manager that was on the telephone with him. Mr. Dev Kumar said yes. We thanked him for the meeting and told him that we got enough information already.

As we were walking out his office, he told us that he cannot give us the copy of the lease and survey plan of Belle Vue cultivation. I told him he already promised to give us a copy. But he repeated that he is just following orders.

If it is true that Mr. Walter Persaud did give permission for the structure to be put up inside the co-op’s land, then he is encouraging  trespassing, illegal actions, violation of the society’s rules, Guysuco lease agreement between the BVCFMCS, the Guyana National Cooperative Society Act, and Chapter 88:01 and the National Cane Farming Act.
It also appears that this over-zealous national cane farming manager is obstructing us and cane famers’ production and is deliberately violating the agreement of Guysuco CEO, Guysuco deputy CEO, the Hon. Minister Robert Persaud with the Belle Vue Cooperative.

It only leaves us to also conclude, that his direct and indirect action is a total disrespect to Minister Robert Persaud who appointed a “three-man investigation committee” to probe the situation.

This anti-cooperative and disrespectful behaviour will not help to defuse the conflict, but will cause more problems and the breakup of this once vibrant cane-farming cooperative.

The Belle Vue Pilot Scheme cooperative producing members and cane farmers  are complaining to the  ‘committee to save Belle Vue Cooperative’, that they are feeling that the ministerially appointed three-man committee is an exercise in futility and is a waste of time.

In the middle of a ministerial-appointed investigation, this Guysuco cane farming manager is trying to insult, frustrate and demoralize them, by giving permission to a non-member and the society’s dysfunctional committee of management, to build an illegal building inside one of the society’s lease land cultivation area, in cane field # 3.

Later, I went to see Mr. C. Persaud, a member of the Ministerial Investigation team, at the Ministry of Agriculture, and informed him about the inappropriate action of the Guysuco manager and the society’s illegal action to put a building inside of cane field #3 for a non-member.

I pointed out that during the investigation, this should not be allowed to take place and it is causing great frustration and division among the producing members.  Mr. C. Persaud told me that he can do nothing; that his role is only to mediate and make recommendations to the Minister of Agriculture and Cabinet.

I told him, he can at least call Minister Robert Persaud and Dr. Luncheon at the Office of the President and inform them about the producing members and my concern, of what is happening, and that the erection of a building on cane farmers’ land, and all other actions that are not good for a fair investigation must stop immediately.

This ministerial committee must reject Mr. Walter’s and other suggestions in favour of the non-members to split the land and issue a separate lease to him.
The argument that Mr. Walter Persaud told the enquiry that ‘he does not want production to be disrupted’, appears to be a ploy to allow the society’s dysfunctional committee to continue with their illegal activities.
Because, if the producing members were informed and given the new lease that was promised to them since December 2009 and if they were allowed to implement their five- year development and investment plan(2010-2015), this cooperative society and the producing members would have replanted and developed more land and have more acreage in new row cane, than what this non-member claimed he has done.

Minister Robert Persaud, Mr. Jabar, the society producing members and the “committee to save Belle Vue Cooperative “want this illegal building to stop! And all materials removed from the society’s lease land cultivation now.
Mr. C. Persaud, should know, that the standard practice in industrial relation and in all enquiry/investigation, is to first help stop all hostility, stop all illegal work on the members’ lands, stop and suspend the society’s Committee of Management from managing the society’s affairs.
He should ask the chief National development Cooperative Office, Mr. Kareem A. Jabar, to use his legal authority to temporarily take over the society’s management, to appoint a management team to continue production/harvesting, etc…, until the investigation work is complete, all guilty persons brought to justice, audit and new election.                                                                                                                                                                                    Mr. Jabar and Minister Nadir already have and continue to have legal authority, with three separate legal petitions, signed by over one fifth of the producing members, in each petition.
And if we include the non-producing members that owe the society and was terminated without due process, (all wanted to sign), it will be over 51% of the members.
This society rules, only require for one fifth of the members to sign.
This ministerial committee must be impartial and help stop all the illegal action against the members and recommend a just settlement for the producing members and return all lands to the Belle Vue Cane Farmers’ Marketing Cooperative Society, Registration # 967, and West Bank Demerara.

The Chief National Development Cooperative Officer is the legal authority to take over the cooperative. Under rule item # 42 “disputes” in this cooperative society rule, it mentions that, ‘all disputes touching the business of the society shall be settled in accordance with section 49 of the Ordinance’. This is referring to the Laws of Guyana, Cooperative Societies Act, and Chapter 88:01, part 1X- Disputes, section # 49.  See the Laws of Guyana, Cooperative Societies Act, Chapter 88:01, Regulation # 16 and # 17. ‘Special general meetings.’

With the help of the ‘Committee to Save Belle Vue Cooperative’, the producing members follow the rules and laws of the cooperative and did three petitions. It was signed by producing members and handed over to Mr. Kareem A. Jabar, Minister Nadir and other ministers, calling on them to intervene and take over this society’s management, seize all records and do an audit, rescind all land sales to non-members, etc. …

See members sign petition, that was given to Mr. Jabar dated April 22nd, 2010, June 22nd, 2011 and August 19th, 2011.                                                                           Minister Robert Persaud, the ‘Committee to Save Belle Vue Cooperative’ and producing members are imploring you and the chief National Development Cooperative Officer, Mr. Kareem A. Jabar, to  enforce and implement the cooperative society’s rules and the Cooperative Society Act.

They must do this because it will definitely, help to rectify all the malfeasances in this cooperative, return all lands back to the society and expel all non-members who were illegally made members during 2010-to 2011, allow the July 2009 arbitration to continue its proper hearing to verify debts owed to the society and determine who among the 16 defaulting members are not interested in cane farming.  All receivable debts must be collected with interest from all defaulting members.

Only the producing members from the 2008-2009 membership register who can and must determine the internal affairs of this cooperative.

For more information please contact the ‘Committee to Save Belle Vue Cooperative’, Hafiz Rahman 260-2249 or 226-1308; Email:haifzrahman96@yohoo.com; Wilfred & Jenny Mangal 267-0024; Email:wilfredmangal@hotmail.com;  Rudolf Kapildeo 624-3441, Balram Balkarran 905-686-1447; Email:bbalkarran@rogers.com and their legal advisor Mr. Moses Nagamootoo-MP at 223-6313 or email; mnagamootoo@yahoo.com.

All for the development of Belle Vue Cane Farmers and Cooperative Societies.
All for Law & Order, Social Justice and Democracy.
All for the Alleviation of Rural Poverty.