A GROUP of farmers who reside in the Trafalgar/Union area, and are members of the Trafalgar/Union Community Development Council (CDC) are seeking the intervention of the government to reclaim lands they said were illegally taken away from them.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and Minister of Public Service Sonia Parag met with the farmers to discuss some of the issues they are facing, with the most urgent of them being a land issue.

Prior to Thursday’s meeting, the group met with Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo to discuss the matter.
According to the CDC’s representative, Lloyda Angus, the land which falls under the control of the Mahaica Mahaicony-Abary Agriculture Development Authority (MMA-ADA) was initially leased to the Trafalgar/Union CDC.

She said that under the previous APNU+AFC government, the then Neighborhood Development Council (NDC) chose not to recognise the established CDC, after which another CDC, the Trafalgar/Tempe CDC was formed.
This new CDC, Angus said, permitted the NDC to erect houses on the land under dispute, although the lease which was issued by the MMA listed the Trafalgar/Union CDC as the lessee. She also told the minister that members of the current NDC are denying members of the Trafalgar/Union CDC access to those lands.

“I have two members here. After the Local Government Elections, when they went to the lands, the NDC saying it is their time now and are bullying the people,” Angus said.
After listening to the issue, Minister Mustapha said that the matter was very disturbing, and that since the issue needs legal attention, the ministry would have to engage the Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall on it.

In addition to land issues, Minister Mustapha also committed to assisting the farmers with pursuing their agricultural activities. He said that a team from the Fisheries Department will visit the area to determine the feasibility of developing infrastructure for aquaculture.
Minister Mustapha also said he would visit the area to further discuss how the government could assist with developing agriculture there.