Your Eyewitness was intrigued by the story on Government officials talking to some folks on the West Coast of Demerara about taking away their land so as to accommodate the gas pipeline to the Wales Development Zone (your Eyewitness’s name!). The gas, of course, will be coming from our oil fields 120 miles offshore, and will land at Crane/Nouvelle Flanders – the plantation that abuts Plantation Vreed-en-Hoop.
Now, don’t think your Eyewitness is just citing esoteric ideas like “plantation” just to show off – even though he must confess that might occur on RARE occasions(!!). That these lands were once sugar plantations is quite significant!! You see, in the beginning, the plantations along the Demerara River were laid out by the Dutch, with canals running perpendicular to it so as to drain the land at low tide. You can still encounter some of the kokers along the West Bank Demerara Road. So, on its way to Wales, the gas pipeline would have to cross these canals – and the abutting dams that farmers use to get to their rice fields.
The pipeline will now be arbitrarily dividing the rice fields and dams. Your Eyewitness wonders how this would affect efficient ploughing, harrowing, raking etc. All of these will have to be considered in the compensation package being offered. Will these costs be amortised, since the pipeline will be in situ for at least 50 years?? So, your Eyewitness now comes to the main point – the price being offered, which was stated at $1 to $4 million per acre!! This figure was supposedly arrived at by the Government’s evaluator!!
And your Eyewitness has those asterisks because the offer is so laughable!! Are these guys for real?? Have they checked out the price of a house lot in that area right off the Public Road at Crane/Nouvelle Flanders?? You’re talking at least $3million for a HOUSE LOT!! And there are at least 6 house lots in ONE acre!! And this was BEFORE it became known that a US$600 million shore base was being constructed just up the road at Vreed-en-Hoop!!
Now, dear reader, you may say that the land OFF public roads are always more expensive because of accessibility and all that, and that most of the land on the way to Wales are waaaaay off the Public Road!! But you forget that there’s a brand new 4-lane multi-billion-dollar highway being constructed parallel to the pipeline from La Grange to the border of Crane/Nouvelle Flanders!! All of the land to La Grange – which is more than half-way to Wales – will now become accessible!!
As the AG pointed out, the Constitution declares that REASONABLE compensation must be offered.
These farmers need to lawyer up pronto!!
…poverty vs getting rich?
Three years before President Hoyte accepted free and fair elections in 1992, he was forced to accept a Structural Adjustment Program from the IMF, so the US$2.1 BILLION foreign debt the PNC had bequeathed could be confronted. Apart from President Jagdeo getting rid of that albatross after he took over in 1999, he had to execute several Poverty Reduction Programs during the next decade.
Now, in 2022, the PNC in Opposition are sadly still stuck with this notion of “poverty reduction” – and this is actually a fetter, especially on those among their supporters who listen to them!! You see, dear reader, at that time, we were desperately trying to keep our neck above water, so we focused negatively on stayin’ alive!! Today the tables are turned, and we have one of the biggest oil finds to close out the fossil fuel age!!
With that money, we must change our goals from merely surviving to now ostentatiously succeeding to join the high-flyers.
Everything depends on our expectations!!
…Trini arrogance
Well, tonight our Warriors are gonna be taking on the Trini Knight Riders. All your Eyewitness can say is that we fans must do our bit to ensure that the TKR go quietly into the night!! Intimidate them!!
