Several Region Five farmers and their attorney, Anil Nandlall, walked out of a Rice Assessment Committee (RAC) hearing yesterday after its Chairman overruled submissions against the body’s bona fides and impartiality.
Last week, the Committee, appointed June 27th 2019, convened a hearing after the Mahaica, Mahaicony, Abary-Agricultural Development Authority (MMA-ADA) claimed that the farmers were in arrears with respect to rent and drainage and irrigation fees.
Nandlall appeared for the farmers and argued that the committee was constituted in a manner inconsistent with Section 8 of the Rice Farmers (Security of Tenure) Act and, therefore, incapable of hearing the complaint.
