SQUATTERS are preventing hundreds of families who have been allocated residential house lots in Phase Four, Amelia’s Ward, Linden, Region 10, from occupying their lands.

The handful of squatters remain defiant against all warnings and notices from the Ministry of Housing and Water – Central Housing and Planning Authority.

According to the Ministry of Housing and Water, as contractors attempt to execute infrastructure works in the area, which have been earmarked for road networks, they are being met with harsh opposition by a group of persons claiming to be farmers.

In one instance, there was a report of workers being assaulted and machinery being damaged.

During a recent visit to the area, the Chief Executive Officer of Central Housing and Planning Authority, Sherwyn Greaves, reiterated that while the Ministry stands ready to work with all citizens, the development will not be held up by a few.

The issue of squatting at Phase Four, Amelia’s Ward, has been a long-standing one. However, in May 2022, after outlining development plans for the area, the Ministry was forced to remove 20 structures from the site which fell in the path of a road.

Twenty persons who laid claim to the structures were fully compensated. In addition, the Ministry had engaged the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission since some of these persons claimed to have pending applications with that agency.

Following this demolition exercise and subsequent compensation, a significant amount of land was cleared; however, over recent months, another group of persons continued to move into the area, in some instances building new structures. Others claimed to own farmlands in the area.

The National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) did an assessment and a decision was taken to compensate the persons for their cash crops seen on the lands. However, those who claimed ownership of the cash crops planted have no documentation to use the land for farming.

This new occurrence has stalled millions of dollars in infrastructural works from being carried out in the area, which could benefit more than 300 first-time homeowners when completed.

Mr. Greaves, during his visit to the area, also noted that the Ministry has exhausted all efforts, even as it continues to plead with persons who are illegally occupying lands in the area to remove.

The agency is therefore reminding persons that squatting is illegal and to desist from erecting structures in the area. The continuation of such activities will leave the agency with no other alternative but to demolish these structures.