Oropouche squatters:

OVER 30 squatters in St John’s Trace, South Oropouche yesterday breathed a sign of relief after their Member of Parliament managed to stall a demolition crew from the Land Settlement Agency (LA) from destroying their houses.

The demolition crew moved in on Saturday, destroying two houses, occupied by three persons. The crew promised to return yesterday to finish off the remaining 14 houses.

But on hearing the news of the demolition, Fyzabad MP Chandresh Sharma immediately contacted the LSA and was able to pursuade them not to send the crew to demolish the houses yesterday. Sharma said he has since contacted Chairman of the Self Help Commission Krishna Ramkumar, who agreed to lend some assistance to the poverty-stricken families. Sharma said he was unsuccessful in his attempts to contact Social Welfare Minister Anthony Roberts.

Sharma, who visited the squatters yesterday to ensure the crew did not return, made an appeal to Government to come to the rescue of the families. “I have made the necessary applications to get house grants for these families but we are still waiting,” Sharma told Newsday. Saying it was the responsibility of the State to meet the needs of its people, Sharma asked that Government reconsider the proposal for a constituency fund to assist constituents in crisis situations. Pointing out that the squatting community has been in existence even before he became an MP, Sharma said it is the job of the Social Welfare to assist these families. “Imagine they have no water or electricity,” he complained.

While the MP said he is not condoning persons claiming other people’s land or illegally occupying the State’s land, he was quick to point out that the demolition crew came like thieves in the night without warning.