Over 200 Burma residents allocated house lots at Region 5 housing drive

Close to 250 residents of Burma, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) were allocated residential house lots on Wednesday, at the “Dream Realised” Housing Drive hosted by the Housing and Water Ministry’s Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA). The exercise was held at the MARDS Complex, Burma Road.
The activity was led by Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal and a team from the CHPA, with Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramphal; Regional Member of Parliament (MP), Faizal Jafarally and MARDS General Manager Bindrabhan Bisnauth.
Before the commencement of the allocation exercise, Regional Chairman Ramphal lauded the Ministry’s effort in delivering serviced lots to persons who have been waiting for years. He noted that the activity has been long in the making, as the commitment was made since 2020, but after much planning persons could now start the first phase of their homeownership process.
In his remarks, the Housing Minister spoke of the efforts made to make the exercise a reality. He noted that while there was an initial plan for a scheme in the Burma area, these plans were abandoned post 2015, leaving residents in limbo. The Minister further stated that after assuming office in 2020, this plan was revisited and the scheme would soon be realised. He, however, called for the new allottees to be patient as the budgetary allocation for the necessary infrastructural work would be provided for in the 2023 National Budget. The new scheme is located east of the existing housing scheme and east of the main access road to the Burma housing development. This scheme provides for residential, residential-commercial, industrial and other land use purposes. More importantly, the development caters for four residential income categories: low, moderate, middle and high-income lots. Lands in the new development have also been earmarked for a recreational facility, and other social and infrastructural facilities.

According to Croal, while these allocations are being done, the Ministry is simultaneously working on matching those with infrastructure development as a means of ensuring occupancy in the new schemes. On this note, a call was made for contractors who have been tasked with executing these works to honour their obligations in a timely manner. He also outlined other development plans for the Region, including the upgrading of water infrastructure. Over the past two years, the sum of $80 million was expended on infrastructural projects in Region Five which benefited some 1615 residents.