SOME 87 households at Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo, Region Three, are expected to receive Certificates of Title within the next three months, for lands they occupy.

This assurance was given by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, who along with Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal and officials from their respective ministries and officers from the Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Fund (SILWF), met with the residents.

According to a release, the purpose of the meeting was to commence a process that will eventually result in the granting of Certificates of Title to 87 households in that community.

These persons, the release noted were either employees of GuySuCo or their descendants who had been allotted house lots as far back as 1997.

Unfortunately, titles for these lands were never granted to the allottees, although the block title was passed from GuySuCo to SILWF, the release noted, pointing out that an occupational survey plan has already been completed and processing the titles to individual allottees will now begin.

The Attorney-General promised that the process will be completed within three months and hailed the comprehensive nature of the government’s housing programme as perhaps the best in the Caribbean.

“It embraces several components, including allocation of house lots; allocation of houses; partnerships with the private sector in the establishment of housing schemes; regularisation of squatter settlements, as well as, addressing anomalous situations where for some technical reason persons have not received titles for lands they have been occupying for protracted periods. The current exercise falls into the latter category,” the Attorney-General said.

Minister Nandlall also stated that President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has given him a special mandate to work in collaboration with other government agencies to address these technical, legal deficiencies, which frustrate the process of persons receiving titles to land to which they are entitled.

The minister reminded residents that a similar process was recently concluded which saw Certificates of Title being granted to over 50 families at Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara. Similar processes are currently ongoing at Number 46 Village, Corentyne; Cotton Tree and Number 3 Village, West Coast Berbice.

Minister Croal used the occasion to update residents on the activities of his ministry in Region Three, specifically, about the drilling of a new well at Parika which will improve water supply on the East Bank of Essequibo, including Zeelugt. The minister also addressed a number of other issues raised by the residents in relation to the housing and water sectors.

Also in attendance were Parliamentary Secretary Vikash Ramkissoon; Regional Chairman, Region Three, Inshan Ayube and the Neighbourhood Democratic Council Chairman of the locality, the release concluded.