Panday: Massive PNM land grabbing in Caroni

OPPOSITION LEADER Basdeo Panday claims Housing Minister Dr Keith Rowley is attempting to cover-up a wholesale seizure of Caroni lands by PNM supporters and is using the UNC as the scapegoat. Speaking in the House of Representatives on Friday, Dr Rowley quoted from an August 7, 1998 letter from Caroni (1975) Limited, to then head of the National Housing Authority (NHA) Dr Allen Sammy, in which the now defunct State sugar company agreed to release 100 acres at Carlsen Field to the NHA “for the squatter regularisation programme.” Rowley said under the UNC, Caroni offered lands to the NHA in several other areas in Central Trinidad for squatter regularisation.

“This was Caroni offering lands to the (then UNC) Government. If today, the PNM Government proceeds to build on those same parcels of lands, you will hear these same colleagues accusing us. The facts are being misrepresented to the population. They are opposed to housing construction on every single site that we have embarked upon today,” Rowley declared. The Minister said by Cabinet note of October 5, 1999, the UNC approved 116 hectares in Carlsen Field for housing. Panday told Newsday Friday’s sitting of Parliament was the first time he ever heard about the activities which Rowley referred to. “All of this is propaganda,” he declared.

The UNC leader expressed concern that “not one square inch” of these lands has been given to former Caroni workers as promised by the PNM. Panday said he has been receiving letters from former sugar workers on the matter. Rowley also said the UNC gave 350 unused acres (from a site designated by the NAR government in 1991) to the campaign manager of a UNC candidate to construct houses The Minister said that individual was paid $36 million and while it was agreed that half of the profits from those houses would go to the NHA, to date “the NHA has not received one cent from the profit.” Panday pointed out that the PNM has been in office for three years and he wondered why no action has been taken to investigate these allegations. “Why haven’t they charged anybody?” he asked.