The need for a better system of governance, were among concerns raised by residents of Rockstone, during a ministerial outreach conducted on Sunday by the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs.
Rockstone, a small community located on the right bank of the Essequibo River, west of Linden, has a population of about 200 people, mostly Amerindians.
GINA said that Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Sydney Allicock, along with Minister within the Ministry, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, Permanent Secretary, Vibert Welch, Legal Advisor, David James and Advisor on Indigenous People’s Affairs, Mervyn Williams, along with Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn Hastings-Williams were on the visit.
The community is managed by a Community Development Council (CDC) and a Village Council. For years, this has caused divisions amongst residents, amidst a controversial proposal for it to be demarcated and recognised as an Amerindian village, GINA noted.
The residents believe that in order for the community to move forward, it must be decided whether it will be governed by a Village Council under the Amerindian Act, or a Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) under the Local Democratic Organs Act.
According to Allicock, the issue of land titling and demarcation is one that the new administration will be prioritising over the next five years. According to GINA, he said that under the previous administration, a survey on Rockstone was done through the
