Hemraj Kissoon, others testify at CoI for return of lands

Clinton Valentine, representative of the Paradise Multipurpose Cooperative Society. (Commission of Inquiry photo)

On the second day of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into African ancestral lands and other matters, four witnesses made cases for the return of lands they feel they are rightly entitled to, which were either taken by the state or occupied by private owners.

Opening the hearing yesterday was Hemraj Kissoon, the Managing Director and Chairman of the Abary Cattle Ranch and Company Limited. Kissoon testified that over 2,000 acres of land, some leased, and others granted “on her majesty’s pleasure”, were taken from the ranch from the eastern side of the conservancy, under the dealings of the Mahaica, Mahaicony, Abary (MMA) scheme when the conservancy was built. They currently possess 7,784 acres of land.

In the latter part of the 1950’s, Kissoon said, the government conducted surveys for the MMA scheme, following which, farmers would be informed of the fate of their lands. Kissoon related that the MMA and government had written to farmers informing them that they would be compensated if land was lost, either with alternative land holdings or by payment.