Agriculture Minister: Illegal selling of agricultural parcels has long term legal implications
February 17, 2021:- In speaking at a Lease Distribution Ceremony at the MALF Head Office in Chaguanas yesterday (16.02.2021), Agriculture Minister, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat said that there are instances where persons have been found illegally selling their Agricultural Parcels on more than one occasions and as such, these individuals are currently under investigation by the Fraud Squad. He sounded a warning to persons who are complicit, to stop and think before they engage. This type of transaction, the Minister said, is only a “promise…which is nothing more than a comfort for a fool”. It gives the individual the false impression that when a deed does arrive, that it will be in their name, resulting in long term legal implications for both parties.
Another scenario, which the Minister alluded to, was that persons who bought these illegal agricultural parcels were under the illusion, that they will be transformed over time, into commercial or residential leases. He said that this notion is not tenable and again, it should be discouraged in all forms.
On the issue of the Caroni two (2) acre parcels of lands, the Honourable Minister said, that the land is divided into two categories (2) of over three thousand plots each, developed by both the Estate Management and Business Development Company Limited (EMBD) and the Commissioner of State Lands (COSL). He indicated that a recent report submitted to the cabinet showed that an average of only about sixteen (16) per cent of the plots were currently used for agricultural purposes. This, the Minister said is not acceptable, and has since instructed both the EMBD and the COSL to recover the parcels and terminate the leases of those persons who are not using the land for its intended purpose. These lands will then be redistributed, he said. The Minister continued, if such persons are unable to cultivate the land for whatever reason, the State would be very willing to facilitate the process in relieving them of their land and subsequently leasing it to persons who are worthy of cultivating it over time.
At yesterday’s event, nine (9) persons from the Jerningham Junction Area in Caroni received their agricultural leases.
Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat (centre), is flanked by lease recipients at his Ministry’s Head Office in Chaguanas on Tuesday 16th February, 2021, following a brief distribution ceremony.
Agriculture Minister: No to the construction of
multiple houses on agricultural parcels
February 17, 2021:- The Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat says that the Commissioner of State Lands (COSL) will reclaim agricultural lands where the construction of a second dwelling house on any one parcel, makes it impractical for the residual balance of land, to serve its intended purpose. He attributed these complexities as a major cause for the delay in execution of land files.
Minister Rambharat said, a decision was therefore made to treat the second house as a residential parcel, and indicated that he will ask Cabinet to approve a residential lease at a residential valuation. If the remaining land is sufficient for agriculture, the Ministry will then issue an agricultural lease, if it is not, the COSL will be asked to reclaim the land and put it into productive use. “Nobody should be given the opportunity to breach the agricultural lease and build a second house and then retain the remaining land without having put it into agricultural production. You just cannot have the best of both worlds,” he added.
On the same note, the Minister also revealed that there was an instance where as many as six (6) houses, were constructed on one parcel of agricultural land, and signalled that while such an occurrence had been overlooked in the past; there was absolutely no way that an agricultural lease will be renewed with that many houses on it, under his tenure.
The Minister’s statements came as he addressed recipients at the Ministry’s Chaguanas Head Office yesterday (16.02.2021) at a Lease Letter Distribution Ceremony. He also reiterated in his remarks that leases will not be executed unless a survey plan was completed, and reminded all parties of the need to be expedient and to treat with relevant queries in a timely manner so as to avoid unnecessary delays. He went on to further cite several reasons why this could happen, including numerous files with queries from the Chief State Solicitor (CSS) which have not been answered. This he said, was the primary cause for the inordinate delay of some ninety (90) percent of unresolved State Land matters at the Office of the CSS in 2015.
At the event, nine (9) lease letters (1 residential and 8 agricultural) were distributed by Minister Rambharat to recipients, each conveying Cabinet’s approval to grant them a State lease (for a fixed period of time and under particular covenants) and thus, enabling them to treat with these respective parcels in a legitimate manner.
Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat (centre), is flanked by lease letter recipients at his Ministry’s Head Office in Chaguanas on Tuesday 16th February, 2021, following a brief distribution ceremony.
