10,000 more squatters to get Certificates of Comfort by 2015

PM hands out Certificates of Comfort in Penal Tuesday

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said on Tuesday night that her government has given out 3,000 Certificates of Comfort in three years to people who have been living on state lands for years. And she said her plan is to give out 10,000 before her term ends in 2015.

She said by contrtast the People's National Movement government of Patrick Manning onlky handed out 1,000.

Persad-Bissessar made the comments at a political meeting in Princes Town Tuesday night. She told supporters that earlier in the day she had distributed 127 Certificates of comfort in the Penal/Siparia area.

She said it was a UNC government that started the program to bring some relief to people who had been living on state lands for a long time and had no rights to apply for service such as water and electricity.

She said the government at the time under PM Basdeo Panday felt that it was unfair for people to live under such circumstances and changed the rules. however she said when the Manning government took office they dragged their feet on the matter, giving out only a limited number of certificates.

The relevant government minsitry estimates that more than 100,000 persons in Trinidad and Tobago are affected by land or land related matters. They include:

• 60,000 squatters
• 70,000 farmers
• 16,000 Caroni leasees
• 20,000 applicants for land for the landless