FIFTY squatting families on the reserve at Zorg-en-Hoop, West Bank Berbice, who have been living directly under a 69KV line for several years, are to be relocated to a safer area.

This was one of the major decisions taken by Minister within the Ministry of Communities responsible for housing, Keith Scott, during a field visit to housing schemes in Region 5 yesterday.

Accompanied by a technical team of officers from that ministry and from the Guyana Water Inc, he assured residents in these schemes that they will benefit from electricity, water, drainage, playfields, and all other amenities which are necessary for the higher quality of community life envisaged in the government’s philosophy of establishment of cohesive communities.

He also gave instructions for refurbishment of the Housing Department in Region 5 and appointment of an additional full time staff member to strengthen the work of that department.

Minister Scott’s visit to region 5 was part of an ongoing community outreach being undertaken by that minister and by senior staffers of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) and the GWI. The team that visited Region 5 included Mrs Denise Tudor-King, Chief Executive Officer (ag) of the CH&PA; Mr Rawle Edinboro, Chief Development Planning Officer of the CH&PA; Mr Gladwyn Charles, Director of Community Development; Mr Fazal Wahab, Director of Projects; and Mr Joseph Coddette, CEO (Ag) of GWI. A number of other high ranking officials of both the CH&PA and the GWI were present, as were the APNU Member of Parliament for Region 5, Ms Jennifer Wade, and Regional Health Officer Ms Oma Harripersaud.

Minister Scott’s first stop was at the Office of the Regional Democratic Council of Region 5 at Fort Wellington, where he was welcomed to the Region by Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramphal and other Regional Councillors.

During his visit to the Office of the Regional Housing Department in the Fort Wellington Complex, he observed poor working conditions of the staffers there. RDC Councillor Carol Joseph pointed out that staff members there worked only one day per week, which many persons needing assistance found unsatisfactory.

The points made prompted Minister Scott to order a refurbishing of the office and a beefing up of the staff with a qualified full time officer.

During his visit to Experiment and Hope, the minister observed there was a low occupancy rate in the housing areas. He urged the persons who were allocated lots to take up their allocations. “When people do not follow through, we have to ask ourselves why. Indeed, we can conclude that they were perhaps not desperately in need,” the minister observed.

He urged those allocated house lots in the two areas to occupy their spots and develop them. “We don’t want to, but if they don’t occupy, we may have to review these allocations,” he said.

At Bath, he observed there was a fair occupancy of the house lots. That scheme is equipped with water and electricity. It was during his visit to Zorg-en-Hoop that he observed firsthand the precarious living conditions of the squatters on the reserve. In conversation with some of them, he pointed out the danger of them getting ill through diseases caused by emissions from the high voltage lines, and he pointed to the real danger of loss of lives if any of these wires were to break and fall on their homes.

He asked them if they were prepared to relocate at the request of the Ministry, and they readily agreed. During the next stop at the neighbouring community of Balthyock, Minister Scott and his team identified a plot of land to which the squatters could be relocated, and they decided to do the required work to place them there.

He told the Chronicle: “There are about fifty persons who are living on the reserve, and our officers have already begun to take names, and they intend to relocate those persons to the Balthyock area”.

He said that during his interactions with these persons yesterday, the squatters said they were all very anxious to get an opportunity to go to a new area.

“They wanted to go to a place, a safe place that they cannot only call their home, but also call their own.” He disclosed that he and his team had identified an area for a playfield, and had also talked with the squatters about the establishment of amenities such as a health centre within the community.

Minister Scott described his visit as successful. He pointed out that he was accompanied by technical staff who had made notes and who would take prompt follow-up action to ensure that the needs and concerns of the residents are addressed.