Feud over street with two names

A STREET with two names yesterday forced police to intervene to quell a long-running feud between a land developer and the Debe/Penal Regional Corporation. The land developer, acting on the authorisation of the now defunct Caroni (1975) Ltd, named the street “Siebaran Drive,” but workmen from the corporation yesterday uprooted the sign and, with armed policemen watching on, renamed the street “Moowassie Avenue,” complete with a new sign post. Although armed police were yesterday called out to ensure the peace, as the corporation’s workmen erected the “Moowassie Avenue” sign, for the fifth time at Moowassie Hill in Diamond Village, the public was left none the wiser, because the land developer counteracted by erecting a sign post in his own yard with the name “Siebaran Drive.”

Up to late yesterday, there were two signs leading to the same street in which a community of over 100 people reside. The road belongs to Caroni (1975) Ltd, who last September authorised the naming of the road “Siebaran Drive.” The corporation, however, passed a resolution in the council and recently published a notice in the press naming the road “Moowassie Avenue.” San Fernando police responded to a complaint that a road sign “Siebaran Dive” was being uprooted on Moowassie Hill around 7 am yesterday. Cpl Gill led a police party to Moowassie Hill, but were met by Insp Kenny Chandarjit and Cpl Jitram Singh, who were watching the corporation’s employees remove the “Siebaran Drive” sign and replacing it with the “Moowassie Avenue” sign.

There was a cordial exchange of remarks between Cpl Gill and Insp Chandarjit, after which the former left the scene. Kissoon Lookoor, 78, claimed he was a descendant of the Moowassie family, a family of cane farmers who owned the majority of lands on Moowassie Hill. Lookoor said the sign had been uprooted on five occasions. Insp Chandarjit said police would take action against anyone found uprooting the sign. The corporation recently issued a published notice that the road, which was once known as Estate Trace, would be renamed “Moowassie Avenue.” Lookoor claimed the trace was renamed “Moowassie Trace,” but this was denied by residents of the area.

Caroni (1975) Ltd’s letter on September 3 to the Siebaran Drive Action Group, which has been lobbying for naming the street “Siebaran Avenue,” confirmed that the road had always been known as “Estate Trace.” Former Caroni (1975) Ltd CEO, Clarence Rambharat, stated in a letter to the group’s secretary Amar Nagoo, that based on research into the identity of the road, the company would recognise the road as “Siebaran Drive.” The land developer Rawle Siebaran and residents of Moowassie Hill told Newsday yesterday the road was always known as “Estate Road.” Lookoor, however, vowed yesterday to pitch a camp next to the “Moowassie Trace” sign post to ensure it was not uprooted. “I’m not leaving here — they will have to kill me first,” a defiant Lookoor stated.