Moonilal promises land for 9,000 CEPEP workers

Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal gave details of the government's "land for the Landless" programme on Tuesday noting that the aim of the strategy is to ensure that the underprivileged in the society get a chance to own some land and start a new life.

Moonilal said CEPEP workers, who fall under his jurisdiction, will be the main beneficiaries of the programme announced in April.

The CEO for the Land Settlement Agency, Dr Allen Sammy, told local media the agency plans to relocate illegal squatters by giving them land in designated areas.

Moonilal said each person who benefits from the programme will get a lot of land on which the foundation for a home would already be laid, complete with plumbing facilities.

"It is our hope that the 9,000 CEPEP workers who are, by definition, lower income workers, can become part of our initiative and our Programme so they may benefit from land or housing through a special window at the Housing Development Corporation and the Land Settlement Agency," Moonilal stated.

He added that the plan is an alternative to handing people "ready-made" homes. Moonilal said the government also consider subsidies for the beneficiaries of the programme to allow them to build their homes.

The Minister added, "At the Ministry of Housing we are very optimistic that the Minister of Finance will provide ample resources for our housing projects, environmental projects, our land settlement projects in particular.

"Today, I am going to be doing some begging on behalf of the Land Settlement Agency to get increased resources because the 'Land for the Landless Programme' is something we are committed to."