MINISTER of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali yesterday handed over six new housing schemes to the Bath/Woodley Park Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).
The signing of relevant documents and presentation was done at the Bath Community Centre Ground.
Present at the event were Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali, Minister of Local Government and regional Development, Ganga Persaud, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Water, Emille Mc Garrel and Permanent Secretary of the Local Government Ministry, Collin Croal.
Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council of Region 5 (Mahaica/Berbice), Mr. Bindraban Bisnauth stated that the intention of the Ministry of Housing is to hand over the schemes in order for them to be better managed by the NDC.
He noted that in 1992, there was no Housing Ministry and the acquisition of the ministry shows the commitment of the present government.
He said that the ministry is there to ensure that every head has a shed over it and the housing schemes provided are collateral.
Mr. Persaud stated that the development and handing over of the housing schemes to the NDC is to ensure that the schemes are properly developed and become a better place.
He disclosed that there will be rewards coming from these communities as it is designated to become a rate paying community with approximately 120 persons who will be trained to assist the Local Government Ministry with appraisal of properties.
The minister noted that the Regional Democratic Council will assist in the engineering of the schemes and implementation of laws to ensure that the legal environment is maintained.
He said that with cooperation the residents and the government can develop the community to make it a better place.
Ali stated that he is pleased to be handing over these schemes to the Local Government Ministry and NDC as he sees this as being a partnership approach.
He noted that the Ministry of Housing will not shy away from its responsibilities from the schemes, however, as these challenges are not very easy areas to manage, but with the assistance of the NDC, Local Government Ministry and Ministry of Housing it will be manageable.
He related that many of the lots provided are being used as homes and farms as the residents of the new schemes are all integrally involved in the agriculture sector.
Ali noted that the NDC now has the responsibility of 1,976 new house lots which they have to manage and will require government’s intervention as it is additional responsibility to everyone.
He also mentioned that the NDC faces challenges in performing their duties in relations to the Community Road Improvements Project (CRIP) as it plays a vital part in the development of the Housing Schemes.
He said that roads in a community are very beneficial as it attracts persons to the area when they know that they have better roadway facilities to depend on and as it is, the CRIP is in the interests of the communities developing roads some of which are already completed and some which are still in the development process.
The minister stated that unoccupied house lots will be repossessed as there were tremendous hardships in acquiring them for example removing squatters and unwanted vegetation to make the areas fit for habilitation.
The new housing schemes being handed over to the NDC were Hope, Hope Phase One and Two, Experiment Phase One and Two, Waterloo Phase One and Two, Block D Bath and Waterloo block.