Even as contractors forge ahead with infrastructure works in sections of the Good Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD) housing scheme, the first batch of allottees on Friday participated in a lot identification exercise.
Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal along with engineers and contractors at the Good Hope Housing Scheme
Friday’s activity is making good on a commitment made by Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal during a visit to the area a week ago.
The elated allottees were led on the exercise by surveyors of the agency’s planning department, and guided to their respective lots and boundaries.
Two Fridays ago, the Minister conducted a series of visits and on-site meetings with contractors responsible for the infrastructure development works that are ongoing in a number of schemes along the East Coast of Demerara.
These schemes included Plantation Hope, Plantation Enterprise and Non Pareil, Good Hope, Lusignan Phases 1 & 2, Two Friends, Success, and Le Ressouvenir.
Ongoing work being done on infrastructure
Having had a first-hand look and being able to inspect the ongoing works, Minister Croal called on the contractors to be mindful of their deadline, as thousands of citizens are eagerly awaiting access to their lands. The ongoing works in these schemes include land clearing, and installation of road networks, drainage, bridges, and pipe networks.
Allottees identifying their house lots on Thursday
Overall, the Minister noted his satisfaction with the pace at which work is progressing. He told media representatives present that ever so often, persons do not have a sense of appreciation for the works being undertaken in the housing sector.
“We are often flacked that we are not doing enough but our figure will show that on the East Coast of Demerara alone, more than $12 billion is being spent on infrastructure works, and this is to ensure that the 5000-plus persons who received lands in these areas can access their lands and start construction.”
Plantation Hope, ECD, being developed
The $12 billion is being spent to develop a combined total of approximately 923 acres of land and in most instances, virgin lands, the Minister pointed out.
Meanwhile, the contractors also took the opportunity to raise the challenges they face, even as they push to meet deadlines. Some of the contractors also reported that despite the minor setbacks on some of their project sites, they are on track to meet the year-end deadline.
Minister Croal in August revealed that three years of governance under the Irfaan Ali-led Administration has seen the delivery of over 24,000 house lots to Guyanese. Moving closer towards fulfilling its manifesto promise of 50,000 house lots in five years, the Minister had revealed, “On the eve of our third anniversary in Government, 24,116 house lots were delivered to date.”
Compared to the APNU/AFC’s delivery of 7534 lots in its entire five-year term, Croal had remarked that 1987 was distributed as a ‘gimmick’ leading up to the 2020 General and Regional Elections.
A breakdown of Government’s distribution reflected 719 in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), 5099 in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), 15,010 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), 956 in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), 1254 in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), 598 in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and 471 in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
He had pointed out that only three housing areas were developed under the former Administration – sections of Peters Hall, Prospect and Providence. Drawing contrast, the PPP/C Government has pushed aggressively to develop housing schemes in Onderneeming, Charity, Edinburgh, Cornelia Ida, Meten-Meer-Zorg, Anna Catherina, Stewartville, Great Diamond, Little Diamond, Non Pareil, Enterprise, Hope, Cummings Lodge, Lusignan, Good Hope, De Endragt Golden Grove, Le Ressouvenir, La Reconnaissance, Blairmont, Shieldstown, Burma, Fort Ordnance, Number 75 Village, Number 76 Village, Lethem, Amelia’s Ward, among several areas, excluding areas under the 2023 work programme.
