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.
No comments:
Post a Comment