Crime forces one family flee home
An Alliance For Change (AFC) Region Three Councillor is calling on the relevant authorities to put in place measures
AFC Region Three Councillor Harry Narine Deokinanan
meant to secure and develop the living conditions for the residents of Tuschen Housing Scheme and Zeelugt Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).
The Councillor, Harry Narine Deokinanan, said that in the past year, both communities have been subject to rampant criminal activity. According to him, crime has got so bad that residents are moving out of the area.
This, he says, is what people feel is the only option as many of the roads are underdeveloped and homes have been without electricity for years.
He cited an incident of rape in the Zeelugt Housing Scheme, which resulted in a family abandoning their home and moving out of the village. The AFC official said that police are currently investigating the incidents but thinks that a “proper security system” needs to be implemented to prevent such crimes.
Deokinanan said that he has consistently raised these issues at the Regional Democratic Council (RDC). At the last RDC, the councillor reportedly brought up his grievances to the Regional Chairman.
During the meeting Deokinanan said that “over 20 persons from the Tuschen New Scheme and Zeelugt New Scheme have been robbed.” However, he feels that his concerns were not adequately dealt with since then. The AFC councillor is “calling on the Region Three Administration along with the ‘D’ Division police force to serve and protect its people in this sad situation.”
Speaking to people of Zeelugt Housing Scheme, Kaieteur News was informed that many of the crimes are being committed by “young men on bicycles”. They have been given the name Bicycle Bandits.
Due to the residents’ lack of access to electricity, one resident said, “People are afraid and as soon as it gets dark, people are locked up.”
This newspaper was told by residents, that houses in the Zeelugt Housing Scheme range from $500,000 to $4.5 million. Despite this substantial investment some residents rather move out the village,
Abandoned Zeelugt Housing Scheme (EBE) home
as the relevant authorities have been unresponsive in matters of crime.
In contacting the Ministry of Housing on the matter, residents were advised to formally report the matter and that the Ministry will look into it. .