Bartica residents receive land titles after years of waiting

Several residents of Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni- Mazaruni) on Monday, received their certificates of titles for lands they have been occupying for many years.

The titled documents were handed over by Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, MP, during a Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) housing exercise, held at the Bartica Community Centre ground.

Luvina Jones, a widow who was allocated a land in Five Miles over five years ago, will now be able to engage a financial institution to begin the construction of her own home.

Jones, who resides in Byderabo, a community on the outskirts of Bartica, was one of the first persons to receive her titled document.

“I was waiting a long while and now I get it. I will try my best to do something on it. My husband passed away and I am extremely happy that I did it on my own. So I’m thankful to the government and the ministry for this,” she told DPI.

Currently, Bartica has a backlog of some 800 housing applications in CHPA’s system.

While providing an update on the government’s national housing programme, Minister Croal said the ministry plans to roll out a massive housing initiative in Bartica in 2022.

He said efforts are ongoing to acquire lands for house lot allocations and the construction of homes.

“All that is delaying me is that I am awaiting the confirmation from the Guyana lands and Surveys Commission for the land that will be provided for our housing programme…and I could have gotten it already but where GLSC is giving me is a little further out, so I am actually trying to see if I can get closer to Bartica for our house lot allocations,” he explained.

While efforts are being made to acquire lands for housing development in Bartica, the ministry is simultaneously working to ensure resources are available for infrastructural works in the area.

In fact, the minister disclosed that the ministry has already advertised for tenders for infrastructural development in approximately 20 new housing areas across the country. This will see thousands of citizens being able to take up residence in areas equipped with the necessary infrastructure including; roads, bridges, drainage, electricity and street lights.

Additionally, efforts are underway to establish a regional housing office in Bartica in 2022. The building will also house the Guyana Water Incorporated’s (GWI) office to provide improved services to the residents of Bartica.

Technical staff of the CH&PA were also on the ground addressing other issues including new and existing housing applications and boundary issues.