SMALL miners from Parika, Bartica and Karrau are calling for the removal of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) Land Management Division Manager, Donald Singh, in addition to the halting of plans to allocate 15 mining blocks in Karrau to the President of the Guyana Gold and Diamonds Miners Association (GGDMA) Terrence Adams.

The calls were made during a meeting with Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, and representatives from the Parika/Mora, Bartica and Karrau Syndicates, at the Grove Community Centre in Parika on Saturday.

In making the call for the sacking of the Land Management Division Manager, Secretary of the Parika/Mora Small Miners Association (Syndicate,) Leon Moses, contended that the Division has been engaging in corrupted practices under the leadership of Singh.
According to him, under Singh’s management, the Land Management Division has been colluding with “rich” or well established miners leaving small miners out in the cold with respect to the allocation of mining land.

The call, which was made in the form of a motion, was supported by miners present with loud rounds of applause, and persons shouting, “I second it! I second it! He got to be removed!”

President of the Karrau Mining Syndicate Judith David-Blair, in offering her support, told Minister Broomes that it was time the Government through the Ministry of Natural Resources, launch an investigation into the operations of the Land Management Division.
“It is time they investigate GGMC starting from the Land Management Division,” David-Blair implored, contending that information was often leaked to GGDMA when there was land available with high mineral content, thereby creating an uneven playing field.

Another member of the Karrau Mining Syndicate, Holbert Knights, said that there were numerous reports of small miners being treated unfairly by the Land Management Division.
“There are some indicators suggesting that all is not well…and I am thinking maybe, maybe we ought to go a little bit deeper into the operations…because we have heard a lot of stories, second come, first serve type of stories and not the first come, first serve type of stories,” Knights said.
Another call was made by the Secretary of the Parika/Mora Small Miners Association (Syndicate) to have the mining blocks allocated to GGDMA repossessed on the ground that GGDMA does not represent the interest of small miners.

“Those blocks were given under the understanding that they were to be of use for small miners, they are not of use and benefit to small miners not now, and they were never intended to be because they are for the use of the landlords in the GGDMA, and I am moving a motion that they be taken away from them,” Moses said.
The President of the Karrau Mining Syndicate, who again offered her support, said that it is a “fact” that the GGDMA does not represent the interest of small miners. According to her, the processing of an application for 15 mining blocks in Karrau for the President of GGMDA should be halted immediately. “Karrau belongs to the people of Karrau, and the 15 blocks should be given to the Syndicate,” David Blair contended.

During the meeting the miners had also complained bitterly about the allocation of alternative lands to well-established miners, saying that there was much need for clarification.
Minister Broomes, upon hearing the concerns of the small miners, said she would discuss the issues with the Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman, at the soonest possible time. “Throughout the country persons are now coming forward with information and so definitely I am going to bring to Minister Trotman’s attention the concerns of miners,” she said.