Caroni landscape changing...Housing takes shape

Anywhere one turns, there is evidence of housing developments taking place, with huge signboards stating they are a project of the Estate Management Business Devel-opment Company (EMBDC) as it moves to lay out residential lots for former Caroni workers who accepted Government’s VSEP package under the Sugar Industry Restructuring Programme.

At a recent meeting of the Couva/Pt Lisas Chamber of Commerce, EMBDC CEO, Uthara Rao, told business people that housing developments were in train for ex-Caroni workers.

He noted that at Calcutta Settlement, Mc Bean, and Esperanza, 41 acres of land were in an advanced stage of development, and that later in the year they would be made available to applicants on the completion of infrastructural works.

At his Valsayn office, the EMBDC boss tried to give a comprehensive overview of developmental plans to meet the requirements of the 8,000 plus former employees who were involved in the sugar industry. At a meeting on February 8, ex-Caroni sugar workers vented their frustration on Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Christine Sahadeo, as she sought to explain the re-allocation of lands for residential and agricultural purposes.

Hundreds of workers in attendance criticised government for the way it was dealing with the land issue. In her address to the workers, Minister Sahadeo recalled that Caroni gave an undertaking to provide all the VSEP participants with priority consideration for the lease of two acre plots of agricultural land. Of those 9007 former employees who accepted VSEP, 7,247 accepted the offer, she said.

She told them that during the month of August 2005, “you were allocated a two acre plot for agricultural purposes in the Montserrat/Esperanza/Forres Park areas. To date all 7,247 former employees have been allocated a two acre plot of agricultural land.

Furthermore, as at January 20, 2006, Caroni has distributed 1617 plots to former employees, she added.

Sahadeo explained at the time that the lands previously allocated were needed for industrial expansion “so that more jobs would be created in the energy sector and the service industry.”

She told them there will be an increase for agricultural produce that will be used in nearby restaurants and malls, noting that it was inevitable that new restaurants will be opened to accommodate the workers at this new industrial site. She said then that surveys would be completed by May 2006. She added that the new re-location would take place when the cane crop comes to an end in May.

President of the Chaguanas Chamber of Commerce, Ashmeer Mohamed, said Rao told them that housing projects were at different stages of development.

At Balmain, Orange Field, Sonny Ladoo Trace and Exchange, he said 190 acres of land are currently under development.

Designs for a further 119 acres at Exchange are scheduled to be finalised within the next few weeks, he said.

In addition, approximately 3,057 acres of land at the former Exchange Estate and 1609 acres at Waterloo are being developed for agricultural purposes, the Chamber’s president pointed out.
Mohamed further stated that on a national scale the EMBDC is proposing to develop 7,600 residential lots and 7,200 two-acre agricultural plots for distribution to applicants . Mohamed stated further that such a level of development in Central Trinidad was unprecedented, noting that it would go a long way in stimulating economic activity in that part of the country. In an interview later, Rao pointed out that the plots should be given to applicants in May or June this year.

He said that Government had promised to deliver to those who accepted the VSEP Packages, and it was doing just that but pointed out that it was not an easy task.

Despite the intensity of the exercise, he said that it was nearing completion, and within the next few months applicants should pleased to receive the lots for which they had applied.
The areas that were nearing completion are located at Waterloo, Mc Bean, Esperanza and Calcutta, he said .