Some of the houses in the path of the new Demerara River Bridge
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs on Tuesday evening said the Government will appeal the timeline it was given to issue payments to residents for the acquisition of their lands at Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara (EBD) which are in the path of the new Demerara River Bridge.
On September 13, Justice Navindra Singh delivered a ruling awarding the properties to the State.
The defendants Joseph Klass and others, Dennis and Odetta Hall and Prince Wilson were demanding much more compensation than their properties were actually worth, but following the ruling, they will now have to contend with less than the State was initially awarding.
Under the ruling, property owners must vacate the premises by September 30, 2024, while the State is required to pay compensation by September 20, 2024.
However, the government is not happy with the timeline stipulated for payments.
Speaking during his weekly programme ‘Issues in the News’, the AG argued that compensation can be contended and therefore should not delay the possession of the properties.
“Those decisions will be appealed because we feel they are wrong in law,” he said, alluding to several instances where properties were acquired by the State and compensation was settled years later.
“The law will not contemplate that the public purpose will be delayed over a squabble over compensation. That can always be determined and that is why the State is required to vest the title to itself first,” the AG said.
The defendants were given several choices before the matter was taken to the court which included land or land and house, commercial lands and additional financial compensation.
However, all were refused and in accordance with the court’s ruling on current market value, more than one person will be getting less than what was initially offered.
Nandlall pointed out that the project is time-sensitive and cannot be stalled.
“We made it extremely clear that it is a time bound process and that this bridge is funded via a loan arrangement from the China EXIM Bank and that the contractor must get vacant possession of the approaches to the bridge within a stipulated period,” he noted.
“Four persons will not stop the Demerara River Bridge from being constructed. Four persons affecting a project that will help 800,000 people. At what level does that make sense?” he questioned.
“We are pursuing the matter to the end and the construction is not being delayed. We have to ensure that the construction is not delayed,” Nandlall added.
Last resort, he said, will be to use its coercive powers and this will be done if necessary.
The AG pointed out that the acquisition of private property for development projects is not new and is covered in the laws of the country.
The Demerara River Bridge is slated to be completed by March 2025.
