Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal made a site visit Tuesday to the Fairfield/Matilda Estate in Princes Town, where the State plans to build 2,500 houses on lands currently occupied by farmers.
He said the ministry wants to turn the sod by end of May or early June for the construction of the first 800 units.
Moonilal and the MP for the area, Nela Khan, made the visit along with Housing Development Corporation (HDC) managing director Jearlean John to try to prevent another incident such as the one on Easter Monday where the HDC bulldozed farmers' lands.
Moonilal said, "The Prime Minister asked us to use this consultative, participative approach so in the future we will not have some of the problems witnessed over the last two to three weeks."
He was referring to the bulldozing at Pineapple Smith Lands, D'Abadie, and Eqypt Trace, Chaguanas, that caused Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to intervene.
Moonilal said, "The Prime Minister asked us to use this consultative, participative approach so in the future we will not have some of the problems witnessed over the last two to three weeks."
He was referring to the bulldozing at Pineapple Smith Lands, D'Abadie, and Eqypt Trace, Chaguanas, that caused Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to intervene.
Moonilal and his team met with farmers to discuss plans for the site. The minister said instead with proceeding with the 2,500 units on 1,200 acres of land "we want to proceed in phases, at first with 800 units on roughly 100 acres of land".
Moonilal added, "The HDC would identify that 100 acres, and by Monday we will be doing some collaboration with farmers in the area. We will then isolate that 100 acres and see who are the farmers there and we will explain to farmers the need for housing.
"We will try as best as possible to relocate those farmers, but relocate them in the same vicinity...because there are lands right here for agriculture," he promised.
Moonilal noted Government's policy that farmers who are relocated or regularised must have a maximum of five acres of land with security of tenure and other facilities including agricultural access roads and irrigation.
Moonilal added, "We will not be in a hurry to meet and treat with the farmers who will not be affected by the 100 acres, but as we proceed we will conduct an educational and information programme in this area, so persons would know that it is our intention in the coming year to expand the housing stock from 800 to 2,500 as we go along.
Moonilal noted Government's policy that farmers who are relocated or regularised must have a maximum of five acres of land with security of tenure and other facilities including agricultural access roads and irrigation.
Moonilal added, "We will not be in a hurry to meet and treat with the farmers who will not be affected by the 100 acres, but as we proceed we will conduct an educational and information programme in this area, so persons would know that it is our intention in the coming year to expand the housing stock from 800 to 2,500 as we go along.
"So we will not have a problem that the country experienced in the last few weeks. We will work in consultation with the farmers so all farmers will continue working and planting the land providing food for our food security, but we will also be building homes."
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