Success residents block road as land grabbing protests intensify

By Leroy Smith

[www.inewsguyana.com] – Residents of Success, East Coast Demerara earlier today brought the traffic along the embankment to a standstill as they blocked a section of the road in protest for land.

The residents used old wood, zinc and other metal to block a bridge while others continued the marking of lands inside the canefields behind the village of Success which they said was given to a popular businessman.

Speaking with iNews, the residents explained that they are expecting the David Granger led administration to provide lands for them at a cost of $100,000.

This is even as some of them claimed that they were asked to pay at least $500,000 for a house lot in the Donald Ramotar administration. Police later arrived at the scene and removed the blockade.

On Sunday, the government sent a warning to persons who have begun occupying state and private lands illegally that the practice would not be condoned.

The administration in a statement reminded that there is a land allocation program which would be embarked on by President Granger and the process would be fair and transparent.

The coalition government had noted that President Granger has not authorized any of the illegal activities and is urging those involved not to be misled by persons who “may have encouraged these actions and rest assured that all Guyanese will be given fair and equitable access to land under the new governments’ land distribution policy.”

According to the statement, the Police and other lawful authorities have been instructed to maintain peace and good order in all locations where attempts have been made to stake illegal claims to land.

iNews had reported that some Guyanese across the country have started a new trend of illegally squatting on lands that have been purchased by other citizens.

This trend began only days before the APNU+AFC coalition was about to take public office and form the new government.

The land grabbing is also taking place in Lusignan, East Coast Demerara where residents have taken up space that was officially leased to Members of the Lusignan Dairy Farmers Services Cooperative Society Limited (LDFSCSL) for a 50 year period in 2003.