PM Kamla pledges to help squatters, but discourages 'land grab'

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says her Government would keep its campaign pledge to regularise squatting on State lands. However she has also appealed to public not enter new lands.

She said her Government understands the needs of families to have a home but warned that any illegal takeover of state lands is not the way to settle the problem.

There are reports that just before the general election people moved in to hundreds of acres of land belonging to the State and in some cases have put up buildings.

During the election campaign Persad-Bissessar put up a strong defence on behalf of squatters, pledging to prevent the Lands Settlement Agency to evict squatters. "Not one house would be destroyed," she promised.

The Prime Minister told reporters Saturday she has instructed the Minister of Housing to go into the various squatting communities and try to resolve the problem.

She said the existing homes would remain.

"But where it is that those who are now using that opportunity to go unto the lands, both the Minister of Housing and the Minister of State Lands, yesterday, in fact, spoke with me. The Minister of Housing spoke with me on the issue; they will go in there to regularise it," she said.

She promised that her Government would not adopt a high-handed approach in dealing with the issue.

"We must be human and humane. But at the same time, there cannot be an indiscriminate grab for lands. It has to be done in a settled way, and that is why we have passed the law, the Squatter Regularisation Act, which allows for the Lands Settlement Agency (LSA) to settle persons to designate areas of settlement," she said.

She said while every attempt will be made to deal with the problem of new squatters, she must consider the need for housing.

She said the law allows the state to have some kind of regularisation and to give assistance.

"In the interim, we strongly advise people do not just grab...the land. I make that call, and that we will take care of you. We will find a way to help," she said.