LANDING GRABBING EXERCISE ESCALATES on EAST COAST DEMERARA …residents block Success Public Road and call on President Granger to heed their calls for house lots
Disgruntled persons involved in a confrontation with a passerby
Disgruntled persons involved in a confrontation with a passerby

 

THE land grabbing exercise that started on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) has escalated, and disgruntled residents blocked the Success Railway Embankment road following the failure of the newly appointed Government to heed their calls for house lots.First started on Friday in the backlands of Mon Repos, ECD, the exercise is now seeing involvement of residents in several villages along the East Coast — Non Pareil, Success, Lusignan, among other villages.

Confusion yesterday at Success, as persons blocked the road to gain the attention of the media and Government officials
Confusion yesterday at Success, as persons blocked the road to gain the attention of the media and Government officials

Residents from these villages have thus far staked out plots of land by placing pickets, but some have even already started building structures on lands which belong to the Government of Guyana and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

As of yesterday, persons even went as far as blocking the Success Roadway, causing a massive buildup of traffic.
When the Guyana Chronicle arrived on scene, in the presence of the police, residents of the said area placed articles on the road to halt traffic; these were later removed by the police officials so that there could be a smooth flow of traffic.

Speaking to this publication, one person said: “We don’t have anywhere to go, and we are squatting because we applied for land years ago and never received it. So we gon block this road until somebody come and tell we is wah really going on wid we land.”

Persons at Mon Repos also continued their squatting exercise, and are calling on newly-appointed President David Ganger to address their concerns, so that they could know how to move forward with the situation at hand.
GOVERNMENT STATEMENT

Some of the wooden structures which were built illegally by squatters
Some of the wooden structures which were built illegally by squatters

As confusion continued unabated on the East Coast of Demerara, the new Administration issued a statement calling on persons who have been “misled” to engage in land grabbing to cease this activity. The new (APNU+AFC) Government said it is disturbed at the recent reports of illegal and unauthorised grabbing of land in some communities.

“The Coalition wishes to inform the public that President David Granger has not authorised any of these illegal activities”, the statement noted. Moreover, it said: persons could “rest assured that all Guyanese will be given fair and equitable access to land under the new Government’s land distribution policy.”

Police and other lawful authorities have been instructed to maintain peace and good order in all locations where attempts have been made to stake illegal claims to land.

By Navendra Seoraj

 

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