Moonilal to ask cabinet to offer compensation, alternative location for farmers

Roodal Moonilal is offering to compensate farmers whose productive agricultural lands were bulldozed over the Easter weekend to make way for government housing.

Moonilal was out of the country when the bulldozers moved in a destroyed dozens of acres of crops in different locations. The farmers are angry with the Housing Development Corporation (HDC).

The head of the HDC has insisted that the state housing corporation did nothing wrong and that it was carrying out government policy. Farmers in the Mausica area have taken legal action to stop the HDC move into the lands.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who is on an overseas business trip in Brazil, ordered all bulldozing to stop and told both line ministers to meet in an attempt to find a solution to the problem.

Moonilal, who was on a private overseas trip, expressed regret that it all happened while he was away.. He told reporters that he spoke with his cabinet colleague, Food Production Minister Vasant Bharath and they have agreed to meet after Thursday's cabinet meeting.

Moonilal said he would propose to cabinet that the farmers get adequate compensation for their loss and they have security of tenure if they agree to relocate to an alternative location to produce their crops. The housing minister added that the Government is committed to resolving the matter in the interest of all concerned.