PoS residents want $2.5M to move

As Marshall struggled to improve the lives of the people of east Port-of-Spain and Laventille, Maharaj promised he would do the same and fight for them as the Government moves ahead with plans to relocate them from the capital to make way for a new housing development. “If Mr Manning wants to declare war on you, to take away these homes from you, I am prepared to stand up and fight with you to ensure that you do not lose your homes. If Morris Marshall is not here to protect you, Ramesh will be here to do so,” he proclaimed, as he spoke to residents during a meeting at a basketball court on Duncan Street, Port-of-Spain yesterday.

Maharaj referred to the Slum Clearing and Housing Act which he said the Government was using illegally to move the east Port-of-Spain residents out.

If the Government wanted them to go, they had to be properly compensated, he advised.

“This is a rich country. We have a budget this year over $34 billion, and at the end of this year the Government would have spent over $120 billion over the last three years.

“With that kind of wealth, and with the Prime Minister spending over $14 million on a residence and about a billion dollars on a stadium, the Government doesn’t need to break down these houses to put up high rise for foreigners and others to live in it, and for you to go and suffer. That is not justified,” he said.

Maharaj warned the residents that if they left without a proper agreement in place for their return they will be

surrendering their rights.

Maharaj said he had learnt that a United States-based company has already made an offer to the Government for land in east Port-of-Spain.

He also stated that demolition was due to start in May. Resident and theologian Hazel Smith, who spoke before Maharaj, said each resident should get no less than $2.5 million to give up their properties.

“Government can’t tell us where we must live and make way for rich people to occupy this land. This is our government land and we are the government. This is a civil rights fight because you don’t take poor people off rich lands and give to the rich and say to hell with the poor people. We deserve better than that,” she said.

Several residents told Maharaj that officials of the Housing Development Corporation visited the area yesterday and began marking buildings for demolition.