Works are ongoing in Cornelia Ida, Anna Catherina, Edinburgh, Meten-Meer-Zorg and Stewartville. The works include the installation of water and electricity supply networks and the construction of access roads, bridges, culverts and drainage networks.
Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal made the disclosure during an outreach at the West Demerara Secondary School on Friday.
He explained that the works are being done in lots and are at various stages of completion. So far, allottees can now access their lots in Cornelia Ida, Anna Catherina and Stewartville.
In Edinburgh, however, Lot One was completed paving the way for the commencement of works at Lots Two and Three which are expected to be completed within two months. Works are also ongoing in Meten-Meer-Zorg and are expected to be completed by the end of the year.
“So, what we have done is that as the works on the virtuous lots are completed, we are calling those persons to identify their lord to commence the construction of their homes. So, we are not waiting for work in the entire area to be completed,” the minister said.
Over the past two years, the government had allocated some 2,800 houselots to residents in Region Three. Another ‘Dream realised’ house lot allocation exercise is slated for the first week of October which will see hundreds of applicants receiving their house lots.
Currently, Region Three has approximately 14,000 pending land applications within the Central Housing and Planning Authority’s (CHPA) database.
To meet this demand, the minister said new lands are being sought and the ministry is expanding its turnkey housing initiative across the region. Already, plans for the construction of some 500 low-income homes are progressing, with the first 100 units approved for construction at Leonora.
Even as the ministry advances its housing programme in Region Three, it is faced with issues of squatting and irregular land occupancy. Minister Croal said the ministry has a programme that addresses the regularisation of lands and warned that “squatting is illegal and the ministry will not tolerate such acts.”
Minister Croal also mentioned the other mega infrastructure projects including the $11 billion Schoonord to Crane four-lane highway, which will create avenues for housing and commercial development.
The proposed highway is expected to run 2.4 miles (3.9 kilometres). The region will also benefit from a new Demerara River Crossing and the establishment of the Wales Development Authority which is expected to bolster the manufacturing and services sectors within the region.
Prior to the outreach, Minister Croal along with Regional Chairman, Mr. Sheik Ayube and Vice Chairman, Omesh Satyanand visited and inspected the ongoing works at Edinburgh and Meten-Meer-Zorg. (Department of Public Information)
