Allottees at six blocks in Great Diamond and Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara will begin accessing their lands by the end of the year, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) said yesterday.
Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal inspected infrastructure works in the areas earlier yesterday, a release from the CH&PA said. Croal was accompanied by a team from the CH&PA, including Deputy Director of Projects, Intakab Indarjeet, and other technical staff. These works, amounting to close to $17 billion, include land clearing, the construction of access roads and culverts and installation of pipe networks. The project will benefit around 5,300 persons in various income brackets.
The Minister visited Great Diamond Block 1, 3 and 5, where more than half of the work is completed, paving the way for the commencement of the lot identification. The remaining allottees can expect access early in the new year, the release added.
However, regarding Great Diamond Block 7 (five lots), the Minister expressed dissatisfaction with the sluggish work of contractors, as works are slated to be completed by the end of the year. While acknowledging initial challenges such as swamped lands and poor access, Croal emphasized that these obstacles were addressed and contractors behind the deadline will be held accountable.
Meanwhile at Golden Grove Block 9, the release said that allottees are also set to gain access to their land by year-end, with most preparatory works finalized, requiring only a few finishing touches on the road network. The ongoing works at Golden Grove Block 11, segmented into four lots, are also nearing completion. Croal has committed that lot identification in this block will begin in early December.
Finally, Golden Grove Block 13 is also progressing so that allottees can begin construction soon. A number of individuals who were allocated Golden Grove Block 18 will also now occupy this area due to challenges faced by the low-lying land at Block 18. Lot identification in these areas will be conducted in tranches, the release said.
