DANVILLE WALKER, chief executive officer of the Office of National Reconstruction (ONR) has issued a strong warning to persons who are illegally constructing new houses on property at Bourkesfield in Old Harbour Bay, St. Catherine in the hope of benefiting from plans to relocate persons that were displaced during the passage of hurricane Ivan.
He said that he has observed that some new squatters have moved into the area.
"I see battered boards and foundations being dug out. People are trying to put some concrete houses out there because they know that the Government is coming with this response and then you are going to try and convince us that you were there before," Mr.Walker said. "We are not stupid, we know everyone who was living there long before we announced it. Those persons who are coming now you are wasting your money."
Mr. Walker said that the ONR will be using every option available to remove these persons."We are going to use every available option to remove those homes in as callous a way that I am allowed to do it," he said.
He pointed out that squatting on land is theft of land and that he has no tolerance for persons who will stop at nothing to take the opportunity to syphon off lands.
COMPLETION OF HOUSES SOON
Giving an update on the relocation of residents affected by storm surges during the passage of Hurricane Ivan, Mr. Walker said that reconstruction will take time, but divulged that the tenders for the Portland Cottage residents in Clarendon have been evaluated with construction of some 250 houses to be completed by the end of August.
He said while it may seem long it is being done properly with the elevation of the property over 60 feet above sea level .
Meanwhile, Mr. Walker said that in Rocky Point, Clarendon, lands have already been cleared to build some125 houses and 110 houses in Old Harbour Bay in St. Catherine. Another 100 houses will be built in Brighton, Westmoreland by the Venezuelan soldiers.
But while the government will be constructing these homes, Mr. Walker said they will not be distributed free of cost.
Mr Walker said a lien will be placed on the properties. "You might just have a man who might come in and offer some of these people money and buy up a bunch of the houses and that is not what this effort was intended for," he argued.
The ONR head said that residents will not be required to pay money before occupying the houses, but they will be asked to make payments through arrangements set up with the Nation Housing Development Corporation (NHDC).
He said that this will not be applied to houses built by the Venezuelans or through the United States Agency For International Development (USAID), but there would be some cost applied to the titles as the government would be doing the infrastructure work.
