THE Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) has called out the Guyana Times for the publication of ‘click bait’ stories which, according to the Authority, has painted its staff as dangerous and threatening.

The stance was taken following the newspaper’s May 19, 2019 publication of an article headlined “Heavily-armed men demolish six homes at Anna Catherina … claim to be acting on behalf of CH&PA”.

In the article, the newspaper stated that the six West Coast of Demerara (WCD) homes were destroyed by “four armed men”, which the Authority believes can easily suggest that the men were armed with dangerous weapons.
In a release on Sunday, the CH&PA deemed the headline grossly misleading, mischievous and malevolent, stating that it also suggested that the men were potentially conducting an unlawful activity.

“On Friday, May 17, 2019, in keeping with the agency’s mandate to address the issues of squatting, the staff of the Enforcement Unit visited the Anna Catherina area to carry out a demolition exercise. This exercise was carried out only after every other effort to get the illegal dwellers to comply had failed,” the CH&PA said.

“Demolition of illegal structures was not recently introduced into CH&PA’s operations. It has been part of the agency, from time immemorial. The team of three men was merely equipped with claw bars, hammers and a sledge hammer. The article is self-repudiating, as it acknowledges that fact. These are the tools used in demolition exercises throughout the country, and for as long as the CH&PA has been in existence,” the Authority went on to explain.

Noting that the newspaper has a “growing trend of ‘click-bait’ stories”, perhaps in an effort “to boost poor circulation and sales”, or to misinform the nation, the Authority said:
“The article is deceitful, as it deliberately distorts the facts. It is dangerous because it can incite illegal dwellers to ‘protect themselves’ against CH&PA’s ‘heavily armed’ demolition crew, endangering the lives of our staff in the process. It is disgraceful, because it seeks to sully the image of the agency and work of the staff.” The Authority also sought to remind the public that it does not act without due regard for the well-being of the occupants of structures marked for demolition.

It stated that it will continue to execute its mandate in an impartial, lawful and professional manner, and acknowledged that the need for housing solutions for the nation’s citizens still remains, in spite of it’s working assiduously towards allocating land and granting housing units to families.

In closing, the agency said, “The CH&PA calls on citizens to desist from breaking the law. We are in receipt of reports of people being encouraged to ‘go and squat’. We wish to remind all and sundry that squatting is illegal! We appeal to all Guyanese to let better sense prevail. Heed the voice of reason. Disregard those who are bent on disrupting the peace.”