Two more Region Seven communities titled-communities urged to explore other sectors to further develop
Written by Gina Webmasters, Published in News, Georgetown GINA, February 10, 2014, Source - GINA
Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai handing over the land title document to Toshao of Batavia, Eon Boyal in the presence of Amerindian Affairs Ministry officials and resident
Riverview/Falmouth and Batavia, located in Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Region Seven, received their land titling document, from Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai on Sunday, during which event, the Minister charged the community to explore other sectors, to further propel their, and their communities’ development.
The demarcation process for Riverview has started and Batavia will commence thereafter.
During a meeting at Batavia, Minister Sukhai told the residents to effectively utilise their land and explore other sectors, such as mining, agriculture and tourism which all have great potential.
This, she said, is speaking to the economic goals which they would want to establish for their communities. “You would know that the economy of many Amerindian villages is based on subsistence cultivation. If you begin to limit yourself this way, you will remain within an environment … and within a situation that does not allow you to move faster in your own household, and your villages by extension,” Minister Sukhai told the residents.
She told them to identify economic activities in their respective community and develop a projection, and so create a sustainable economic condition, in order to making their communities viable. She said that the viability depends on the youths and the other villagers, land ownership, and the plans, all of which will produce activities which will generate income.
“You can start from the subsistence level, what is there in the community, how many farmers are there, so you can list the number of farmers…in the forestry sector what do you have, how many loggers and what is the income stream projected from these sectors,” Minister Sukhai explained.
Under the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), 26 villages which were not a part of the recommendation, made by the Land’s Commission of 1968 and 1967, were provided with land rights.
Minister Sukhai highlighted that in Guyana, Amerindians’ right to lands is respected and the PPP/C Government has committed itself in this regard. “This Government adopted villages that were established after independence, there’s no way that this Government has attempted to sell-out Amerindian lands or recall Amerindian lands,” Minister Sukhai emphasised.
Batavia was granted absolute ownership to 7, 185 acres of land. A question was raised regarding Batavia’s ownership of the river and the minister explained that usually communities do not own the river.
Toshao Eon Boyal noted that the handing over of the title was a significant event. “We have waited a look time for this, I’m indeed happy for this significant achievement. Now that we have our title, we have more control of our land and we can do more things and it’s absolute,” Boyal pointed out.
Meanwhile, a happy Riverview Toshao, Melinda Pollard, thanked the government for the support her community has received over the past years from the government.
Under the Guyana REDD + Investment Fund (GRIF), Government in 2013, signed a US$10.7M document for the implementation of the Land Titling and Demarcation project. Currently, four communities are undergoing the process, with 20 more due to start soon.
In 2016, 20 other communities are due to have their lands be demarcated and titled.
This programme is expected to be completed by the end of 2016, and will see a total of 45 villages being demarcated and titled.
Toshao of Riverview, Melinda Pollard receiving the community’s land title document from Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai
