Minister of Housing and Water Colin Croal disclosed on Wednesday that squatters from the Mocha district who have shown resistance to relocate have been offered millions of dollars in compensation since 2021.
During a televised programme last evening, Minister Croal said that already, other squatters from the Cane View/Herstelling (Mocha), East Bank Demerara area were compensated since 2021 to facilitate the development of the Eccles-to-Great Diamond Highway. These compensations were granted based on an evaluation done by the Ministry of Finance on their respective properties.
Minister Croal revealed that $250 million had been given as compensation to 27 squatters in 2021. In addition, another $6 million was paid out as compensation for lands that were used for farming.
“The seven squatters have been offered full compensation for their existing illegal property, a free residential house lot, a grace period to facilitate construction of their new homes, and 5 acres each of lease lands by the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission. These offers have been rejected on all fronts,” the Minister said.
The Housing Minister disclosed that also in 2021, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) engaged 35 families from the district with the aim of reaching an amicable solution and also addressed the issue of relocation and compensation.
He noted that extensive consultations were done in 2021, to ensure the squatters were relocated to develop housing schemes on the East Bank of Demerara. He noted that the majority of the squatters resettled in various communities including Farm and Herstelling. He further added that the compensation process and agreements were signed in December 2021.
The Housing Minister posited that the lands for which these squatters are being compensated were all state-owned.
Seven squatters several days ago staged a protest against the government for their removal from properties which they’d lived on for many years. The squatters expressed the view that the lands were being devalued by the administration, as such, they refused to relocate.
