Land titles, extension for eight Amerindian communities

Three Amerindian communities will receive land titles for the first time, while extensions will be granted to five other communities, including the tourism-driven Lake Capoey, Region Two.

Amerindian Affairs Minister, Pauline Sukhai, MP, made the announcement while providing additional validation for the extension applications, during a ministerial consultation with village members on Tuesday.

The minister said the village applied for its extension in 2004 and by 2014 a full investigation was conducted to ensure all legal matters were covered during that period.

“In those investigations all the agencies and commissions that were required to be part and parcel of the investigation were in attendance, and at that time everything was in order.

I know that we have established the Amerindian Land Titling (ALT) Unit once again as we are back in office, mid of this year they have an approved work programme for eight communities to be titled- three for the first time and five for extension and Capoey forms part of the extension.”

A team from the ALT unit visited the community last October to validate the investigation report provided earlier.

“From their subsequent report, they explained that there is no major significant encumbrance. The position of the village remains the same and the area required or applied for remains the same,” MinisterSukhai underscored.

She said the matter will be examined for a third time before the ministry takes another step.

“Land titling is one of the commitments that we campaigned on. We have in the past, in our previous tenure in office, significantly moved forward on titling of lands for Amerindians and in this period in our first term, we intend to address land titling again,” the minister said.

The Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali-led Administration has made good on its promise to resuscitate the ALT project with a proposed 2021 budgetary allocation of $630 million.

Minister Sukhai had said the functioning unit of the project which began in 2013 was disbanded by her predecessor.

The ALT project allows Amerindians to secure their lands and natural resources with a view towards sustainable, social and economic development.