Scores of persons continue to invade vacant lands along the East Coast Demerara (ECD), demarcating house lots with the hope of acquiring same and the new government yesterday expressed concern and instructed the authorities to maintain order.
In a statement last evening, the APNU+AFC alliance said that it is disturbed at recent reports of Illegal and unauthorized grabbing of land in some communities. “The coalition wishes to inform the public that President David Granger has not authorized any of these illegal activities,” the statement said.
“To those participating in these activities we say please do not be (misled) by persons who may have encouraged these actions and rest assured that all Guyanese will be given fair and equitable access to land under the new government’s land distribution policy,” the statement said. “The police and other lawful authorities have been instructed to maintain peace and good order in all locations where attempts have been made to stake illegal claims to land,” it added.
During a visit to Mon Repos yesterday, Stabroek News observed that the flooded and muddied sections of old cane fields and empty lands were bustling with activity as news of the illegal activity spread resulting in an influx of persons eager to get a portion of land for themselves.
On Saturday, police were in the area cautioning persons about the illegal activity but nothing seemed to hinder the determined residents who braved the rain and the slippery and swamped dams zealously in search for any portion of land that was still unmarked.
The old, the young, even pregnant women, along with children were seen armed with cutlasses and pieces of wood as they hurriedly cut weeds and erected little shacks in the area. Others placed their initials on poles serving as boundary lines for ‘their’ land.
A pregnant mother of four who Stabroek News observed with a piece of wood trudging the slippery terrain was very anxious to obtain the small plot of land that she staked out at the back of the cane fields in Mon Repos on Saturday. Her common-law husband was also carrying pieces of wood as he helped his wife demarcate boundaries she had placed on the land on Saturday.
The plot of land which was flooded with water, was amongst the last of the lots marked off. The woman said that she heard of persons occupying lands in the area and she hurried to the location with the intention of doing the same but was told that all the lands in the front were already occupied.
She said that she waded through the mud along with her sister who also marked off a spot. The woman related that she almost changed her mind after her efforts to locate a vacant plot of land was becoming exhausting but, encouraged by her sister, they finally located a spot at the back. “Me tell me sister let we go back, but she say ‘no we don come far and we must find a vacant place’,” the mother said even as she mused on whether she might encounter any problem for engaging in the activity. However, she noted that she is paying rent at the moment and is determined to get a piece of land to live on.
However, when the woman reached the spot and identified her markings to her husband yesterday, it was discovered that someone else had arrived after she left and marked off a spot close to hers which encroached on the boundaries she had set out, leaving the couple with a very small piece of land.
As persons continued to arrive, curious to find out whether there were any other vacant spots, one of the men said that he has his
eyes on a playground and wanted the support of about 15 others to go and start demarcating the spots on the ground. Meanwhile, some persons were heard complaining about others uprooting their boundary markings, discarding it and placing new poles with their names on it.
At Enterprise Gardens, squatters also marked off a playground located along Hymac Scheme. Residents said that a portion of land was already allocated to legitimate home owners through the Ministry of Housing and another portion of land had been cleared to construct a nursery school in the area. Visible signs of demarcation were also seen on the lands.
APNU+AFC flags were also pulled off from some of the lamp poles and planted inside the lands on sticks.
A resident who said that he is a legitimate owner of a lot and had access to a government reserve behind his house, noted the invasion of squatters on the reserve. The resident said that the illegal activity is very disrespectful and indicates ignorance on the part of the squatters. “This is more than madness,” he said as he pointed to empty lots which he said are legally owned by persons but which others recently came and marked off.
Some empty lots in some of the other villages on the East Coast were also marked off though no one was seen at the time of Stabroek News’ visit. There were reports that similar activities were also taking place on the East Bank Demerara including at the back of Diamond.
When the results of the May 11 general elections were released, scores of persons along the East Coast Demerara began to demarcate spots on empty land and cane fields. Some alleged that they had applied for house lots for many years but these were never granted.
The Sunday Stabroek reported yesterday that a number of residents of various villages along the ECD had illegally allocated themselves house lots, claiming that they were acting on a promise made to them by newly elected President David Granger.
