In order to better monitor the development of infrastructure within the prerequisite policy framework, the Central Planning and Housing Authority (CH&PA) introduced rangers to execute that function and they have since reported over 40 violations in one day.
Senior Development Planner, Fayola Azore, related that law enforcement for the Housing Authority has been a challenge and the introduction of rangers will aid significantly in combatting that challenge.
“We recently hired a number of rangers that will aid in our enforcement and they
CH&PA Chief Executive Officer Lelon Saul
will be out there going around seeing things that are going up and bringing that information back to us. I think in one day we saw about 40 violations in one community and we are now better able to track those activities so that’s one of the measure that we put in place as enforcement,” Azore informed.
She added that the violations were discovered in a recently opened housing settlement along the East Bank of the Demerara but failed to pinpoint the exact location. However, Azore indicated that there are systems in place to address the violations and that they work extensively with violating developers before any legal actions are taken.
“We have a system where we would speak to the offenders, they are given a specific period to make those corrective measures and after that we would take action whether legal action or serving the contravention notice so we do have a system in place to deal with that,” she explained.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of the Housing Authority, Lelon Saul noted that the rangers were recruited to identify violations as it relates to planning and development.
“We have recruited rangers and basically the rangers are out there to identify any violations so that we can address the whole issue of planning and development, the chaotic situation out there and there are several issues they will be addressing from illegal construction to dumping of waste, blocking of roadways and drains and so on. I want the public to be aware of the rangers outside there, they are agents of the CH&PA and they have the rights to enforce the regulations,” he said.
Currently, there are four rangers on staff at the CH&PA. Additionally, Saul indicated that he sees no reason to raise that number because he is positive citizens would adhere to the specifications.
“We hope that there would not be a need to increase because people would get the message and we all would be good citizens and comply with the regulations. If there is the need for us to increase the number of rangers, it means that we have wayward citizens in our communities and I trust that we don’t come to that,” Saul opined.
Non-tolerance
While delivering remarks at an outreach session with local democratic organs in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Saul authoritatively informed that, the CH&PA would not be tolerating any violations as it relates to the development of public open spaces.
“You go around Georgetown, all sorts of developmental activities you’re seeing and there’s no such permission and I want to refer to the development of that public open space between South Ruimveldt Gardens and Park; we will not tolerate that,” he noted.
“We observed that there was some construction going on there and I know for sure that the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission would have intervened and stopped that construction. We were not certain, we were not able to obtain information on that the agency or person persons that would have sanctioned that activity the construction of some form of building on that piece of land,” Saul added.
The CEO also informed of another incident in Section K, Campbellville along the Lamaha Conservancy, adding that it will not be tolerated. He noted that there is a developmental project currently being implemented without the relevant permission granted.
He further explained that according to the building regulations, no building activity is permitted within 200 meters of the canal’s embankment. He related that is the very reason they are aggressively moving to have the squatters along the Lamaha Conservancy removed.
“Our public open spaces must be preserved and vital watershed areas ought not to be compromised by human activities. Perhaps the aforementioned is as a result of overlapping and conflicting policies and regulations that govern various agencies that have responsibility for development,” he said.
“Hence, we have planning by interpretation, planning by precedent, planning by who have influence, planning by corruption among others. This is undesirous and the Central Authority is currently working with other agencies to address this issue,” Saul added.
