Kairuni residents want lands to be regularised
GINA, Guyana, Monday, April 24, 2017
A common issue that came out of a recent ministerial outreach to the community of Kairuni, Region Ten, is land regularisation. The residents said that the issue has been prolonging for the past five years, and they are calling on the government to intervene.
Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn Hastings-Williams led a team of officials including Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission’s (GLSC) Senior Land Administration Officer, Region Four, Monisa Dalrymple and Khemraj Persaud of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) at the outreach on Sunday.
During the community meeting, the residents said that they applied and even paid inspection fees to the GLSC. They said that it is very important that there be an understanding as to whether there are plans to regularise the community.
Minister Hastings-Williams requested that residents provide a copy of their documents including their applications and receipts so that a proper follow-up can be done.
Dalrymple explained that due to the lack of resources, the commission was unable to proceed with the regularisation process, however it is committed to starting the process soon.
“It is the commission’s intention to ensure that the regularisation process is completed and that titles are issued. We will come back into the area and conduct the survey,” Dalrymple told the residents.
Dalrymple said that there are a few steps the commission will have to take before issuing the titles. She explained that, “This will entail inspecting the property, if there is a business on the property or agriculture, so our plan has to reflect that. The plan will then come back into Kairuni for persons to vet, to ensure that your boundary description is correct and there is no dispute among persons…If there is any dispute at that point we will try our best to resolve those issues.”
Dalrymple further explained that a design will have to be developed for the area. In an instance where a resident has a fence, that may have to entail a redesign. After that process, the commission will then conduct a cadastral survey (the sub-field of surveying that specialises in the establishment and re-establishment of real property boundaries), after which titles will be issued.
In relation to the titles, Dalrymple told the residents that the GLSC will issue a 50 -year lease. “If you are occupying as residential land, the lease will just be residential, if the person is occupying business and residential, then the lease will be both residential and business.”
Meanwhile, the residents also raised concerns of children not being able to attend school because of the lack of transportation. One resident said that she has to pay $2000 to get her child to school in Linden.
Minister Hastings-Williams said that it is important that the children have access to education, and, “Transportation must not be a setback for them, food must not be a setback for them.” She then committed to making representation to address this issue.
The churches in the area have been supporting the school and providing a hot meal for the nursery school students daily. Minister Hastings-Williams commended the churches for starting the feeding programme, and encouraged the teachers in the area to submit a proposal to the Ministry of Education so that they can get support for the school’s feeding programme.
Minister Hastings-Williams urged the residents to continue working together to further develop their community.
This outreach is part of a series of ministerial outreaches being conducted countrywide to listen to, and interact with the citizens in order to address their concerns.
By: Synieka Thorne
