The recent distribution of land leases to former sugar workers is not linked to the July 29 Chaguanas West by-election but is only the fulfillment of a 2003 promise to Caroni Ltd workers.That matter was cleared up yesterday by Minister of Food Production Devant Maharaj at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Prime Minister's Office, St Clair.Responding to questions on the matter, Maharaj said: "We had to go to court in order to force the last PNM administration to live up to Justice Deyalsingh's judgment of 2007."
Shifting attention to the former Estate Management and Business Development (EMBD) company formed under the last administration, Maharaj said following the court order, that entity spent some $2 billion trying to develop infrastructure on the former Caroni Ltd lands."Two months before we came into office, $200 million in contracts were assigned by the EMBD, for which we cannot find a single shred of paper. It was shredded before the last administration left and this is what we inherited," he added.
In order to distribute the leases, a certain amount of work had to be done before. Maharaj said."So it's not fair (to say it's political strategy) and this is not the first time we have distributedleases. This is the second occasion," he said.Maharaj said the handing out of the leases was a fulfillment of the Government's 2010 manifesto promise to deliver the land promised to former Caroni Ltd workers, which they never got.
He said many of those who were to receive two-acre parcels of agricultural land after they were displaced when the sugar factory was shut down died without receiving it.Some 405 leases were presented to former sugar workers last week in Chaguanas.Another 1,700 residential leases would be distributed by the end of the year, the Government has promised.