Politicians from the opposition parties have questions about how land where a new housing scheme dubbed ‘Pradoville 2’ has been allocated while government officials remain mum about it.
The new East Coast housing development, where several top government officials are reported to be building their homes, is on the grounds where NCN’s radio transmitter was once sited. The transmitter has been relocated to the West Bank of Demerara. Questions have been raised about whether the land was advertised publicly and how it was allocated and valued, among others.
Observers say this is crucial as ordinary members of the public are subjected to rigorous guidelines and procedures for the apportioning of land. How the land in a prime spot close to the city could have been allocated to big-wigs only is a source of concern.
Contacted recently, leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan said that he had been asking several questions and the transaction “is oozing with corruption and suspicions of corruption”. He said that there are several questions including whether the land has been given to a developer and at what price. He asked why in prime areas only top government officials are getting lots. It shows discrimination, he said.
“If you have to distribute lands that belong to the state, it should be on a reasonable basis” and with maximum revenue coming to the state coffers, Ramjattan argued. He described the process in relation to the development as one that has “absolutely no transparency.” According to him, this has been the practice, particularly in distributing prime state lands.
He said that top government officials have lots in the scheme, including the “Freedom House cabal” and one senior government official has secured several lots worth millions.
Ramjattan said that he has been trying to get more information and has even approached Housing Minister Irfaan Ali directly at Parliament but the minister was unresponsive to his queries. He said that he may have to ask the questions officially in the National Assembly.
Ramjattan further noted that President Bharrat Jagdeo “has been making a huge hullaballoo internationally” about the vulnerability of low-lying areas such as the one where the scheme is being built. “It’s… hypocrisy in what he pleads internationally and what he lives locally,” Ramjattan said.
Meantime, when questioned on the issue at a press conference recently, PNCR leader, Robert Corbin said that the party has been “pursuing this matter from the time it commenced.”
“In fact I went there myself to physically see it and there is substantial infrastructure necessary to bring that place up so I’m not sure at this point in time so when those investigations are complete we’ll be in a better position to say something more about it.
But we’ve been unable to date to discern whether it’s a private developing scheme, on what basis the land was made available, these are all things I think we would all be curious about,” he said.
A source at the state holding company, National Industrial and Commercial Investments Ltd (NICIL), had told this newspaper that that entity had facilitated the transfer of the land at Sparendaam. The source had said that there was no public tender for the land.
Ali refused to speak on the specifics of the Sparendaam land deal when approached at Parliament several weeks ago. He would only say that the land was allocated based on the mechanism of allocation of the Central Housing and Planning Authority and that the mechanism is publicly known. He said that the transaction was done this year but refused to say at what value. Ali said that he was busy and “when I feel like speaking to you I will speak to you.” Asked when this would be, he asked whether the reporter was trying to “direct” him.
He then said that this would be when this newspaper stop with “y’all stupidness” and further told the reporter that “you’re a part of it.”
The new housing development has also attracted concerns over its proximity to sea defences but Ali told this newspaper a few weeks earlier that, generally speaking, whatever construction is done, engineers ensure that “everything is taken into consideration.”
Ali had said that all constructions by the ministry are built to “strict engineering specification” and quizzed on whether the Ministry had inspected the Sparendaam development; he responded tersely that “the ministry must inspect it….”
With regards to its proximity to the sea defences, one official within the Ministry of Public Works had indicated that from observations, it was “adequate.”
The Sea Defence Board (SDB) was doing a report on the new housing development but it is not clear what effect the report would have as construction at the new housing development has already started.
Stabroek News sent letters requesting information on the deal to Ali, Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Mryna Pitt and Head of NICIL/Privitisation Unit, Winston Brassington. Ali and Pitt did not respond and Brassington said that the questions should be directed to the Minister of Housing “since NICIL is not the competent authority to answer such questions.”
