–as authorities move to settle issues related to distribution of titles, allocations

FOR years, residents of Kokerite Hill, Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini) have lived in uncertainty because of unsettled issues related to land ownership in the area, but the Ministry of Housing and Water has committed to resolving those issues very soon.
Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, during a recent visit to the area, told residents that the ministry, through the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), is working along with the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) to regularise the housing district through the correct legal channels.
The area has 122 residential lots, of which 111 were allocated. Those lots are primarily for low-income earners.
According to Minister Croal, while the land is already demarcated, ongoing matters related to the distribution of land and further allocations, have stalled the regularisation of the area, leaving a number of persons in a state of uncertainty.

“We’re expecting in the coming months, for a number of persons who paid, some as far back as 2014, to be able to process their titles and for those who have been issued titles, we will have to go through the legal process of re-issuing,” Minister Croal said.
Once those matters are resolved, Minister Croal noted that the ministry will recommence the allocation process so as to facilitate more persons who would have previously applied for house lots in the area.
In the interim, the Ministry of Housing and Water, has started an electrification programme to enhance the lives of residents in the Kokerite Hill and surrounding areas, while a new access road is being constructed by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region One.
Additionally, enhanced water services are expected in the area, as the Guyana Water Incorporated will be drilling a well later this year.