Moontown

It should be “Land for Land” and not just money when the Government acquires land from a vendor, says MP for St. Lucy, Denis Kellman.

Kellman, who has consistently made this suggestion in the House of Assembly over the years, reiterated his view yesterday during debate on a resolution to approve the compulsory acquisition by the Crown of 178.3 square meters of land at Hunte’s Road, Carrington Village, St. Michael, for housing of a senior who was about to be evicted.

“Whenever Government is acquiring land, it is not just about the purchaser..It also means the rights of the vendor to dictate. It cannot be money alone. The vendor must be given the opportunity to choose between money and an alternative piece of land or both depending on the size of the land.

It is all right for people to say that (the vendors) got money to go on the (real estate) market but the market out there is not that easy.  I am saying that as a Government, we have to recognise that we have to have a parallel land policy and that means it cannot be only for those persons who are now seeking land, it must also be for those persons who we are using the Land Acquisition Act (against),” he said.

Kellman said that Government should recognise that if vendors wanted land in return for what has been taken and it is not given, “you are actually robbing them of their land”.

“This is not a simple matter. This matter is a very social matter.  Money is not and cannot be all and I am telling the Minister of Housing (Michael Lashley) that he cannot walk around like what happened in the last 14 years throwing money at people as  if throwing scratch grain at fowls.” (TM)

Wednesday, June 17, 2009, MIDWEEK NATION