Seventeen sites of agricultural land comprising 16,500 acres of
land have already been surveyed and is being developed.
The allotment of those lands is in progress while development continues.
Works in terms of access roads, light, water and irrigation facilities
are being undertaken in the agricultural plots that are located
in south and central.
In addition, another 6,164 residential lots of 5,000 square feet
of land were to be developed for distribution to the same VSEP recipients.
The residential developments have already begun and Rao said they
are being fast tracked in order to expedite the physical delivery
Regarding the residential lots, Rao said there was on ongoing exercise
comprising 23 sites in south and central.
He said the surveying of the lands is fully completed while most
of the engineering are completed.
Infrastructure works of roads, drains, fire hydrants, and utilities
are being done at present.
Land in each site was allocated for a daycare and a community centre,
a school, a recreation ground and a shopping centre as the case
may be.
Rao said the physical handing over of the lots will begin by the
end of 2005 depending on completion.
“This is when the former Caroni workers can move in and actually
begin building their homes.
“The entire exercise will be successfully completed by the
mid- 2007,” Rao said.
While priority is given to the former Caroni workers, Rao noted
that development is also taking place with lands for commercial
and SBU use.
The EMBD chairman said the development of approximately 25,000 acres
of land in the four categories has been well-managed by EMBD, which
is significant in terms of creating a spark in the country’s
economic activities and by generating employment and income stream
to the communities.
Rao told Mirror that government is spending hundreds of millions
of dollars to carry out the expansive work and convert the idle
land into productive use.
But, he explained that the development of the land and the building
of thousands of homes will create wealth for the country.
He continued: “The land development will attract investors,
entrepreneurs and house building, which will trigger a number of
entrepreneurial activities.
“A food basket will also be created from the lands that were
converted into the agricultural sector to make 7, 500 people farm
owners.”
More than 300 skilled and unskilled workers from different areas
within the communities where projects are based have been employed
and are benefitting.
Some of the employees are former Caroni workers. |
