VERY soon, residents of Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara will have legal rights to lands they occupy in the backlands. The regularisation process is slated to commence within a week.
This is the outcome of a meeting held with residents, led by Attorney-General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall S.C, and Commissioner of the Lands and Survey Commission Enrique Monize on Saturday.

During the meeting, it was agreed after consultation with the residents that they will work along with the government to get leases for the lands they occupy.
This was after it was explained that the process to get the lease had begun close to two decades ago but was abandoned.

Residents were informed that since the process had already begun, all that needs to happen now is to update the claims list.
The Attorney General said “it is a very tedious exercise and it spans village across the coastland. So, it is not an easy task and it takes some time. We are doing on the Corentyne Coast, we are doing in West Coast Berbice, we are doing on the East Coast Demerara, we are doing on the West Coast Demerara and we are also doing in Essequibo.”

He further added that “we want to bring formality to this, what you call squatters because if you have no title to the land, you are essentially squatting until you are regularised.”
The commencement of the process is the fulfillment of a commitment made by the Attorney General during a recent meeting in Melanie Damishana.

During that meeting, he had committed to start the regularisation process for persons who occupy untitled lands on the East Coast.
Queries were also raised by residents as to what will happen when the process is completed and there are vacant lands.

In response, the Minister said that once the process is completed and lands are available, persons from the area can apply for the vacant lands.
Land Surveyor Tedwin Roach who was recently appointed by President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali will be leading the exercise. (DPI)