–Housing Minister says, reiterates that land being occupied is a government reserve
–over $250M already spent in compensation for persons who have already relocated
DESPITE being offered land and amounts ranging from $3.4 million to $14.3 million, resistant squatters at Mocha-Arcadia/Cane View dam are demanding as much as $100 million to $150 million a piece to remove from the unregularised area.

To date, 28 families have already relocated from the dam to nearby residential areas and have rebuilt new homes through government compensation.

The government has spent over $250 million in getting the other squatters relocated. However, seven remaining squatters are currently hindering construction of the Eccles to Diamond road link.

On Wednesday, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) in a last effort to let the public understand the full gravity of the situation, released a notice explaining the efforts that have thus far been made to negotiate with the squatters, and arrive at an amicable resolution.

According to the CH&PA, an individual who got a valuation of $5.5 million is demanding $150 million and farmlands.

Four other individuals are demanding $100 million each, after being offered valuations of $8.6 million, $7.2 million, $6 million and $3.4 million. One individual was given a valuation of $11.5 million, but according to the CH&PA, the individual was not satisfied with the valuation.

Another individual was given a valuation of $14.3 million and allocated a land at Plantation Herstelling. However, despite having signed a settlement agreement, the person has not yet uplifted the cheque, and instead is demanding $45 million in addition to farmlands. Final notices were served to the individuals on June 27, 2022.

For some time now, the remaining squatters on the dam bordered by two trenches, have been claiming that their refusal to remove from the reserve hinged on getting a better offer from the CH&PA, which falls under the Ministry of Housing and Water.

“To date, 28 families have relocated to nearby residential areas and have rebuilt new homes through government compensation. Some seven individuals remain non-compliant and continue to stall development plans by making spurious and unreasonable claims and refusing to vacate the lands,” the CHPA explained.

Speaking on the issue during a special broadcast on the National Communications Network (NCN) on Wednesday, Minister of Housing and Water, Colin Croal, explained that the CH&PA has been meeting and negotiating with the squatters for some time now, and began paying compensation to the other squatters over one year ago.

Minister Croal describe the demands by the remaining squatters as “preposterous”.

“We started having persons sign up their agreement, started their relocation process, and they commenced construction. We have success stories of such persons talking about the benefit of having relocated. Those persons that remained along that corridor would have never gotten title for the land they occupied, would have never gotten the utility services legally. Because they’re occupying a space that is a reserved,” the minister related.

He went on to say: “Where they’re relocated to, there is a different environment. You now have that opportunity to say you know have a proper environment for your children you have space on this land, you own this property and you of course have your water and electricity connected legitimately.”

Minister Croal said that the government offering compensation and assistance to the squatters does not negate the fact that the land they are occupying is a government reserve and they were never entitled to it.

“It has to do with the elements from the [main political] opposition which, as usual, is never being a responsible political group of leaders. We are having discussions about a portion of land that is a reserve. We must establish that.

“Adequate time was provided, we repeatedly kept engaging asking them to come in to us. The ministry’s doors are open, the Central Housing and Planning Authority doors are open; we repeatedly said this,” Minister Croal said.

He denounced claims that the dam being occupied is part of “ancestral lands”.

In keeping with its mandate to ease traffic congestion for thousands of commuters along the East Bank Demerara, Region Four Corridor, the government of Guyana is currently constructing the Eccles and Great Diamond Highway.

However illegally occupied lands at Cane View/Herstelling form an essential link to the project, thus stymying development which will ultimately benefit thousands of Guyanese.

On Tuesday, the squatters, supported by Leader of the PNC/R, Aubrey Norton, and Parliamentarians Coretta McDonald, Nima Flue-Bess, Ganesh Mahipaul, and Sherod Duncan continued to resist efforts to be remove and faced off with officials from the CH&PA and the police.