Panday: Homeless not breaking law

OPPOSITION LEADER Basdeo Panday yesterday declared that he was not encouraging homeless persons to break the law by telling them to occupy houses built by the National Housing Authority (NHA). Addressing Thursday’s post-Cabinet news conference at White Hall, Housing Minister Dr Keith Rowley warned such persons that the NHA would continue to protect Government property and they will feel the full brunt of the law if they commit the acts which they are being encouraged to do. Dr Rowley said there were fundamental differences between  PNM and UNC housing programmes, with the former being designed to better cater for those persons in need of proper housing. Rowley added that irrespective of what Government did to address national housing concerns, the UNC was still convinced that it was house-padding.

Panday told Newsday the Government’s actions in housing proved that they were voter-padding to win the next general elections, constitutionally due in 2007. He said the Opposition had already advanced proportional representation as a means of eliminating voter-padding from TT’s political landscape. On his call to homeless persons, Panday said these people were being discriminated against in terms of housing, and if there is a law of discrimination, such an “evil law” was meant to be broken. He reiterated the UNC’s questions about the NHA awarding a contract to H Lewis Construction to clear lands at Carlsen Field for housing. On Thursday, Rowley said an arrangement made by the UNC has left Government unable to obtain profits from the sale of houses in the Roystonia Housing Settlement, which is located in Panday’s Couva North constituency. Rowley added that the contractor involved in that project is now demanding $16 million to complete the final phase.