LINK : http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,209049.html
By Richardson Dhalai Tuesday, March 31 2015
TWO days after former sugar workers and their families marched through the streets of Couva on Friday, Trade, Industry, Investment and Communications Minister Vasant Bharath assured them that lands were being made available for them.
In a statement, Bharath said all former workers could feel “confident” that they would receive the lands which had formed part of the Caroni VSEP package by the middle of 2015.
“It was a promise made by the Prime Minister and as with other commitments, it is a promise that will be kept,” Bharath stated, adding, “In fact, we would recall that one of the first acts of the government was to withdraw the appeal to the Privy Council of the Justice Lennox Deyalsingh ruling.”
Bharath pointed out that the Privy Council appeal, which had been made by the previous PNM administration had “effectively stalled the process” and it was only when Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had instructed the Attorney General to withdraw the appeal that government was able to move forward on the land distribution process.
“In addition, the previous administration levied charges of $20,000, $25,000, and $30,000 on the lands before the former workers could take ownership,” he stated, adding, “this government revoked those charges because they were unjust and we ensured that whatever sums were paid were refunded to the former workers.”
Bharath also pointed out that new terms had also been introduced to allow easy transferability of the lands from the ex-Caroni workers to their children or should they decide to sell the lands.
“To be clear, through the Ministry of Land and Marine Affairs, there are 12,387 available lots on 30 sites with 8,855 lots allocated to the former Caroni workers. The remaining 3,532 lots are being used for other land distribution,” Bharath stated.
“So there has been absolutely no attempt to alter or adjust the allocations that are being made to ex-Caroni workers. And all outstanding lots which are at various stages of the execution process will be delivered before the middle of 2015,” he stated.
But All Trinidad General Workers Trade Union president general Nirvan Maharaj says the issue must be resolved since former sugar workers have waited over 11 years for what was offered to them as part of their Voluntary Separation Employment Programme packages.
“There has to be meaningful action or meaningful dialogue to have this matter resolved,” Maharaj said. He added that the union was willing to work with the Prime Minister and the Government.
“But it must be resolved because it is a shame that going onto five years since this government came into power, this issue is still outstanding,” he said.
Tuesday, 31 March 2015
Bharath: Ex-Caroni workers will get their lands
link : http://www.news.gov.tt/content/bharath-ex-caroni-workers-will-get-their-lands#.VU06qfnYXI0
March 31, 2015: EX-CARONI workers can feel confident that they will receive all the lands promised to them under the Voluntary Separation of Employment Package (VSEP) which was offered before Caroni (1975) Limited was shut down by the previous Government.
The assurance comes from Trade, Industry, Investment and Communication Minister, Vasant Bharath, in a release issued Sunday 29th March 2015.
“All former workers can feel confident that they will receive their lands which formed part of the Caroni VSEP package. It was a promise made by the Prime Minister and as with other commitments, it is a promise that will be kept.”
The Minister stated: “In fact we would recall that one of the first acts of the Government was to withdraw the appeal to the Privy Council of the Justice Lennox Deyalsingh ruling. This appeal was made by the previous administration and effectively stalled the process. It was when Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar instructed her Attorney General to withdraw the appeal that we were able to move forward to the distribution process for the lands.”
“In addition, the previous administration levied charges of $20,000, $25,000 and $30,000 on the lands before the former workers could take ownership. This Government revoked those charges because they were unjust, and we ensured that whatever sums were paid were refunded to the former workers.”
Minister Bharath added: “Further, to ensure that the ex-Caroni employees could get the maximum benefit of land assets, we introduced new terms that made the lands transferable, if the former workers decided to sell the lands, or pass them on to their children. Previously, they were restricted for using the lands for these purposes.”
Giving further details of the process, the Minister stated: “To be clear, through the Ministry of Land and Marine Affairs, there are 12,387 available lots, on 30 sites with 8,855 lots allocated to the former Caroni workers. The remaining 3532 lots are being used for other land distribution programs.”
“So there has been absolutely no attempt to alter or adjust the allocations that are being made to ex-Caroni workers. And all outstanding lots which are at various stages of the execution process will be delivered before the middle of 2015.”
The Minister also assured: “The Government continues to hold to its hallmark as being among the most worker-friendly administrations in our history. In the case of Caroni lands, we appreciate how important it is to former workers of Caroni Limited because the future of thousands of their families depends on this promise being kept. And we will keep that promise.”
March 31, 2015: EX-CARONI workers can feel confident that they will receive all the lands promised to them under the Voluntary Separation of Employment Package (VSEP) which was offered before Caroni (1975) Limited was shut down by the previous Government.
The assurance comes from Trade, Industry, Investment and Communication Minister, Vasant Bharath, in a release issued Sunday 29th March 2015.
“All former workers can feel confident that they will receive their lands which formed part of the Caroni VSEP package. It was a promise made by the Prime Minister and as with other commitments, it is a promise that will be kept.”
The Minister stated: “In fact we would recall that one of the first acts of the Government was to withdraw the appeal to the Privy Council of the Justice Lennox Deyalsingh ruling. This appeal was made by the previous administration and effectively stalled the process. It was when Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar instructed her Attorney General to withdraw the appeal that we were able to move forward to the distribution process for the lands.”
“In addition, the previous administration levied charges of $20,000, $25,000 and $30,000 on the lands before the former workers could take ownership. This Government revoked those charges because they were unjust, and we ensured that whatever sums were paid were refunded to the former workers.”
Minister Bharath added: “Further, to ensure that the ex-Caroni employees could get the maximum benefit of land assets, we introduced new terms that made the lands transferable, if the former workers decided to sell the lands, or pass them on to their children. Previously, they were restricted for using the lands for these purposes.”
Giving further details of the process, the Minister stated: “To be clear, through the Ministry of Land and Marine Affairs, there are 12,387 available lots, on 30 sites with 8,855 lots allocated to the former Caroni workers. The remaining 3532 lots are being used for other land distribution programs.”
“So there has been absolutely no attempt to alter or adjust the allocations that are being made to ex-Caroni workers. And all outstanding lots which are at various stages of the execution process will be delivered before the middle of 2015.”
The Minister also assured: “The Government continues to hold to its hallmark as being among the most worker-friendly administrations in our history. In the case of Caroni lands, we appreciate how important it is to former workers of Caroni Limited because the future of thousands of their families depends on this promise being kept. And we will keep that promise.”
Thursday, 26 March 2015
Cabinet approves land for 4,400 ex-Caroni workers
LINK : http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Cabinet-approves-land-for-4400-ex-Caroni-workers-297733751.html
By Anna Ramdass
Story Created: Mar 26, 2015 at 9:16 PM ECT
Story Updated: Mar 26, 2015 at 9:16 PM ECT
Cabinet yesterday approved lands for some 4,400 Caroni 1975 Ltd sugar cane workers, Minister of Lands Jairam Seemungal said.
He was speaking at the Post Cabinet news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair.
He said a total of 11,553 acres of land was approved.
He said the lands will be distributed in different areas including Toco, Gandhi Village, Hermitage, Rio Claro, Barrackpore, Corinth etc,
He said a three-phase programme was undertaken where there was the collection and variation of tenancy data and the development of spatial and tenancy database.
Phase two involved the processing and delivery of standard agriculture leases to legitimate tenants by the Commissioner of State lands and then the processing and delivery of standards agriculture leases to squatters who were cultivating sugar cane on former lands of Caroni 1975.
He said at the conclusion of the exercise, the Commissioner of State lands determined that the 4,400 farmers were all tenants and beneficiaries of Government policy.
Seemungal said the project will continue over the next three to four years as the lands are being surveyed and before leases issued the direct of land and survey needs to sign off on survey plans.
The minister noted that following the closure of Caroni, the European Union allocated funds $440 million to assist farmers who would have been disenfranchised.
He said a new note will be brought to Cabinet for the utilisation of the funds to roll out the programme.
By Anna Ramdass
Story Created: Mar 26, 2015 at 9:16 PM ECT
Story Updated: Mar 26, 2015 at 9:16 PM ECT
Cabinet yesterday approved lands for some 4,400 Caroni 1975 Ltd sugar cane workers, Minister of Lands Jairam Seemungal said.
He was speaking at the Post Cabinet news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair.
He said a total of 11,553 acres of land was approved.
He said the lands will be distributed in different areas including Toco, Gandhi Village, Hermitage, Rio Claro, Barrackpore, Corinth etc,
He said a three-phase programme was undertaken where there was the collection and variation of tenancy data and the development of spatial and tenancy database.
Phase two involved the processing and delivery of standard agriculture leases to legitimate tenants by the Commissioner of State lands and then the processing and delivery of standards agriculture leases to squatters who were cultivating sugar cane on former lands of Caroni 1975.
He said at the conclusion of the exercise, the Commissioner of State lands determined that the 4,400 farmers were all tenants and beneficiaries of Government policy.
Seemungal said the project will continue over the next three to four years as the lands are being surveyed and before leases issued the direct of land and survey needs to sign off on survey plans.
The minister noted that following the closure of Caroni, the European Union allocated funds $440 million to assist farmers who would have been disenfranchised.
He said a new note will be brought to Cabinet for the utilisation of the funds to roll out the programme.
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