PM Kamla halts bulldozing of farmers crops

A bulldozer at work in a farmer's field at Dass Trace, enterprise on Tuesday afternoon

Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar intervened from Brazil Tuesday and stopped the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) from bulldozing farmers' crops on lands owned by the state.

In an instruction from the Brazilian capital where she is attending the World Economic Summit for Latin America, Persad-Bissessar said while she appreciates and understands the urgent need for housing, the government must give equal consideration to farmers.

She asked Housing Minister to consult with Food Production Minister Vasant Bharath to find a solution, adding that she is confident that the matter could be resolved in the interest and satisfaction of all concerned.

Moonilal is out of the country. Public Utilities Minister Emmanuel George is the acting minister while Moonilal is away.

The Prime Minister's intervention came following the destruction of crops on Monday on state lands that farmers have occupied and made productive for several years. 

Before the instruction from the PM, HDC bulldozers were at work again on Tuesday. The action came after a meeting between hundreds of farmers and Bharath at his office in Port of Spain at which he expressed concern over the HDC action the day before when HDC bulldozers wrecked dozens of acres of productive agricultural lands at Mausica.

Read the story: HDC Bulldozers destroy dozens of acres of productive agricultural lands

Bharath himself was upset at what happened Monday, saying he was extremely disturbed by the bulldozing.

"The lands were vested in the HDC by the previous government and previous Cabinet. However, my position has always been that agricultural land should stay in agriculture," Bharath stated.

The lands were producing sweet potatoes, pineapple, bodi, cassava, peas, corn and other vegetables on lands that have been cultivated by the farmers for more than 30 years.

The HDC claimed that it was acting legally since the land has been vested in the corporation for a new housing development. But farmers dispute that and obtained an ex parte injunction Monday to restrain the HDC and its agents from bulldozing their lands.

The legal action means the HDC must stop work on the land until the matter is determined in court.

But the HDC did not park its bulldozers; it moved them to Dass Trace, Enterprise where they crushed 50 acres of tomatoes, cucumbers, bodi and peppers on Tuesday afternoon before the PM's instructions were handed down.

Angry farmers are accusing the government of double speak and they are pointing their fingers at Moonilal, who has responsibility for housing. They say the HDC action contradicts the new People's Partnership government's pledge to encourage agriculture as one of its policy planks.