MORE than 100 Soesdyke-Linden Highway residents were on Friday allocated lands in the village of Swan by the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC).
The land allocation came after the distribution of leases by President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and the Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy at Base Road, Timehri, on Monday.
Some recipients included squatters from Hill Foot and persons renting houses in various villages along the highway.

The Department of Public Information (DPI) spoke to a few residents who were delighted to finally become landowners after waiting a while.
Beaming with smiles, Lovern Prince said she feels extremely blessed to achieve something she can now call her own and will also benefit her family.
“I’m so thankful for the land that I have received, and also the lease that I signed and uplifted from the President on Monday. I want to say thank you to everybody else, especially the Lands and Survey because it is a real pleasure to me and my family for us to have our land,” Prince expressed.
During the land-marking process, another recipient, Latoya Hudson, told the DPI that she is eager to start a new life with her family within the new community that will soon be developed.

“I appreciate this from the government because I have been waiting a long while for this land. My family and I were squatting in the Sand Pit before. So, now receiving my land I would start to build within the next two months,” the young mother stated.
Amid the excitement, Kenneth Florrest, who lives along the highway also expressed gratitude to the government for looking into the interests of the residents and coming through for them in such a timely manner.

“I want to say thanks very much to the government for giving us this opportunity, so that we can have our land even though it has been a little journey. The time has come for us to have what is rightfully ours and we are grateful,” Florrest expressed.
Each resident has been given a plot of land measuring 50 feet by 100 feet.

Additionally, while overseeing the land allocation, Minister McCoy emphasised the government’s continued commitment to ensuring that every citizen becomes a homeowner.
He assured residents that, although the lands have been allocated farther down Swan, the area will be developed as part of the government’s highway plan.
“As part of the highway development plan, you will see a number of activities that will be happening over time. You will see the establishment of facilities that will enhance the aesthetics and the lives of people in this part of the country,” Minister McCoy stressed.