"The HDC only follows Government policy and those lands were earmarked for housing several years ago, and we are preparing the lands now to start construction of those houses."
Those words are attributed to Jearlean John, who ran things at the state housing authority under the Manning PNM administration and is still in charge of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC).
The comment has sparked an angry debate about whose policy she was following when the HDC sent bulldozers to wreck dozens of acres of productive agricultural lands in East Trinidad on Monday.
Farmers and citizens have raised that question in light of what appears to be a contradiction of the policy of the present People's Partnership government, which is to encourage agricultural development to reduce the annual multi-billion dollar food import bill.
The question arises also because only a few weeks ago the country's food production minister was actually encouraging farmers to expand agricultural production on state lands while they waited on the government to grant them the formal permission to occupy the lands.
Vasant Bharath and Roodlal Moonilal have not clarified the position on why the bulldozers moved in on the farmers so we await their explanation, which we hope will clarify this apparent contradiction in policy.
We have no quarrel with a government and its agencies following policy. However, there seems to a blurry area in this particular development, especially in light of the People's Partnership's aggressive development of agriculture.
Bharath has found himself with political egg on his face and he must explain to farmers immediately what led to this unfortunate incident.
Was there, for example, any consultation between his ministry and Moonlal's housing ministry? If there was, then why didn't they agree to let the farmers reap the crops, which would have been consistent with Bharath's commitment to expand agriculture.
We hold the view that a nation can only become truly independent when it can feed itself.
We have been supportive of the People's Partnership agricultural thrust. And like the farmers, we hope that there will be an acceptable explanation for this invasion of the bulldozers.
Those words are attributed to Jearlean John, who ran things at the state housing authority under the Manning PNM administration and is still in charge of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC).
The comment has sparked an angry debate about whose policy she was following when the HDC sent bulldozers to wreck dozens of acres of productive agricultural lands in East Trinidad on Monday.
Farmers and citizens have raised that question in light of what appears to be a contradiction of the policy of the present People's Partnership government, which is to encourage agricultural development to reduce the annual multi-billion dollar food import bill.
The question arises also because only a few weeks ago the country's food production minister was actually encouraging farmers to expand agricultural production on state lands while they waited on the government to grant them the formal permission to occupy the lands.
Vasant Bharath and Roodlal Moonilal have not clarified the position on why the bulldozers moved in on the farmers so we await their explanation, which we hope will clarify this apparent contradiction in policy.
We have no quarrel with a government and its agencies following policy. However, there seems to a blurry area in this particular development, especially in light of the People's Partnership's aggressive development of agriculture.
Bharath has found himself with political egg on his face and he must explain to farmers immediately what led to this unfortunate incident.
Was there, for example, any consultation between his ministry and Moonlal's housing ministry? If there was, then why didn't they agree to let the farmers reap the crops, which would have been consistent with Bharath's commitment to expand agriculture.
We hold the view that a nation can only become truly independent when it can feed itself.
We have been supportive of the People's Partnership agricultural thrust. And like the farmers, we hope that there will be an acceptable explanation for this invasion of the bulldozers.
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