Residents of Beehive North, East Coast Demerara were on Wednesday consulted on a land matter that has been a problem for more than a decade.
Susan Rodrigues, Minister within the Ministry of Housing & Water met with several residents after being invited to intervene on the matter. A release on Wednesday from the ministry said that residents have been calling for ownership documents for several years, however, the issue of ownership of the land has been held up in a court battle.
Giving an update on the status of the matter, Rodrigues told the residents that since 1976 twice the court ruled that the land is the property of the government. The most recent judgment was passed in 2011, by the late Chief Justice Ian Chang who ruled that the Compulsory Acquisition of the Plantation made by the late L.F.S Burnham was lawful. This ruling was challenged by the Kissoon family, the original owners of the plantation who have since filed an appeal in the Court Appeal.
The release said that the Minister committed to finding a solution to the issue in the interest of the families who have called this area their home for decades. Already the Minister has consulted with the Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, and other legal minds to move the matter forward. The family claiming ownership of the land has also been consulted with by the Minister, the release said.
