GLSC approved 849 leases for this year
Commissioner of GLSC, Trevor Benn
Commissioner of GLSC, Trevor Benn

…CEO warns against illegal occupation of gov’t lands

AS the demand for land, particularly in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), continues to rise, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) will be looking to open about 6,000 acres of new land for the first time, since the 1980s.

Over the past few decades land has been transferred from one person to next because new land has not been made available for occupation and commercial use. “We have not opened up new lands since the 1980s… last time we opened lands in a real way was the Mahaica, Mahaicony and Abary (MMA),” said Commissioner of the GLSC, Trevor Benn during the commission’s end-of-year press briefing at the commission’s head office, on Monday.
He also warned citizens against illegal occupation of government and state lands. He advised that visits should be made to the commission to acquire secure forms of tenure. For this year, the commission processed a total of 3537 applications of which 849 of those were approved. A total of 489 leases were prepared.

Meanwhile, speaking at the news conference, Benn said that, apart from the regular housing schemes, new lands and areas have not been opened up. The lack of new land has forced the GLSC to adopt a system of revoking unutilised land and passing it to someone else- a system which has been used for years.

“There has basically been the exchange of land… Since the 1980s, land which was given to you was taken back and then given to someone else, once it wasn’t utilised,” said Benn. In an effort to end the ongoing trend of exchanging land, the GLSC is looking to open about 6,000 acres of land in the near future. The first phase will see about 3,000 acres being made available, said Benn.

“As the demand for land in Guyana, principally in Region 4 (Demerara – Mahaica) continues to increase, the commission initiated planning, over the past year, for the eventual opening up of new public lands in the region,” said the commissioner.

According to Benn, consultations began, and are ongoing, with a number of stakeholders and government agencies. The establishment of a committee to oversee planning and development of the area has been proposed. The commission is also working out a cost for the project and looking at the sources of income for the project.

The commissioner said there is no infrastructure in place at the proposed location so the commission has started a design of what the area will look like. Benn said the aim is to have a modern, 21st century community. The lands will be used for three purposes which include residential use, commercial use and agricultural use.

“We want to ensure that there is a good mix between commercial and housing…we want to ensure that there is adequate size of house lots, so that persons can have space to have their garden and stuff,” said Benn.
The commission will also be looking to establish green spaces and mini-parks so that the communities will be complete. The new land is also expected to mitigate squatting. Benn said squatting and non- beneficial occupation of land by lessees continues to be a major bugbear for the commission.

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