30 years later

Minister at the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues

After more than three decades, some 65 informal settler households will soon have their own land titles.
This comes as the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) completes the regulation of Blocks B and C, portions of Block D, at Plantation Great Diamond, Demerara East Bank (EBD).
Ministry of Housing and Water Minister Susan Rodrigues made the announcement on Wednesday, during a brief statement at the ministry’s headquarters.
“We have engaged with National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited [NICIL] because that area is now under their view … It was taken to the Board and approval was given to transfer that area from NICIL to the Government of Guyana and we will administer the publication of those titles through the Central Housing and Planning Authority, ”he said Minister Rodrigues. He said.
He further explained that the transfer had been struck green through a Cabinet decision of March 25, 2021 and NICIL is in the process of preparing the legal framework.
The land was originally transferred from Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Inc. to CH&PA vide Transport No 302/2005 to begin the process of regulation. However, the regulatory process was stopped after it was discovered that Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) owns a portion of Block C.
Three informal settlers who occupied the land owned by DDL were relocated to Prospect, EBD last year, through a partnership between DDL and CH&PA. Minister Rodrigues noted that the people relocated in Prospect were also to receive their land titles.
Since the new Government took office, squatters have lamented the issue of ownership of title to Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, during many of his East Coast defeats as well as Minister Rodrigues . Both Ministers had assured those affected that the situation would be resolved quickly.

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