It was her first public comment on the bulldozing of agricultural lands by the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) since she returned home from her business trip to Brazil.
She intervened from Brazil to stop the bulldozing and on her return home Sunday night she told reporters that she was not fully briefed on the matter to make a comment. However she said she had asked for both ministers involved - Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal and Food Production Minister Senator Vasant Bharath - to provide a brief.
Speaking in penal at a ceremony to distribute Certificates of Comfort to citizens who had applied as far back as 2000 the Prime Minister said she has now received written briefs from both ministers.
She added that she understands that a further meeting with the farmers is scheduled to take place on Thursday and she didn't want to make any statement that might prejudice those discussions.
Ministers Moonilal and Bharath met last Thursday with the farmers and offered them compensation and relocation. The farmers accepted the offer for money for the crops that were destroyed but have rejected the relocation offer.
Persad-Bissessar said, "We must take steps to ensure that this (bulldozing of crops) does not happen again." However she made it clear that "this is not to be construed as an official statement by government as condoning illegal occupation of State land. On the contrary it is the opposite."
She said, "We must be mindful of the way in which we go about enforcing the law and the need to create a balance.
"On the one hand, there is a raging need for agriculture and food production while on the other hand there is a huge demand by the people for the basic right to housing, to shelter. I believe that we can do the right thing and satisfy both these needs of the population.
"That is to say, learn how to balance the right to shelter as well as balance the right to food. I am of the view that we can do this," she said.
"Farmers can lobby the Government on these issues, because just as a parent would be fair to the different needs of their children in the interest of the entire family so will we be. And so we will balance the interest to ensure that there is justice for all as we try to meet the needs of everyone," she said.
The Prime Minister pledged that "Homes will be built without compromising the needs of farmers, all in accordance with the law and due consideration to the nation’s interest."
She added, "I don’t wish to prejudice the discussions that’s scheduled to take place with the farmers on Thursday I believe, and other interest groups. I will say nothing further on this matter except that we have to balance the need for housing with the need for food. We will deal with this matter further after the meeting with the farmers."
Persad-Bissessar said the Ministers will try to resolve this issue in the best interest of all the people of Trinidad and Tobago. "No one group must be given an unfair advantage against another group. So that is the instruction to the Ministers as they meet again with the farmers," she said.
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