Dear Editor,
We are appalled at what we read in the press (SN, December 15, 2012) about the squatting/trespassing at 67-68 Villages in the Corentyne. We know the land very well. Some of us are old enough to know that when the second sea dam was constructed in the mid 1960s both Lands and Surveys and the Sea Defence Board promised that all excess land, beyond the requirement of the sea dam, would be returned to residents/proprietors.
The reason why the excess land was not returned when the first sea dam was constructed, in the late ’50s, is because immediately after construction the dam ran into trouble. The first high tide after construction simply bypassed the dam and flooded a significant portion of the eastern half of No 68 Village.
The matter had to go back to the Sea Defence Board and the old sea dam abandoned. A new one had to be designed, moved further east, connecting both villages, to enclose the low-lying area that was open to floods during high tides and heavy rains.
One person who ought to know some of this is the then Head of Lands and Surveys, Mr Datadin. One of us remembers well Mr Datadin informing older villagers (Robe, Black, Johnny Kite, etc) in the early ’90s that as soon as the Sea Defence was certain that the area was “stabilised” the excess lands would be returned to the proprietors. Now we are told that did not happen, and the Sea Defence Board refuses to prevent squatters from moving in while Lands and Surveys refuses to say anything.
And worse still one local government councillor is now ensuring that by the time it is decided whose land it is, the place will be overrun by squatters ready for regularisation − and no one says anything.
How in God’s name did we get here? Did we close our eyes and some new monstrosity from an alien world invade our sense of fairness, justice, decency? And what about a little loyalty and acknowledgement for the years of yeoman service − voting for the PPP since 1953, year in year out?
Yours faithfully,
L Boya
E DaSilva
C Ramsaroop
K Persaud
N Gopaul
D Sangster
C Ramsaroop
D Toolsie
Editor’s note
We are sending a copy of this letter to Minister of Works, Mr Robeson Benn, for any comment he might wish to make.
