Two elderly women get free house lots

-after President Ali’s intervention

Two elderly women are now landowners as a result of an intervention by President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali.

President Ali took the decision to waive the fees and costs of the two lots after learning of the women’s plight to become homeowners.

They were both allocated lots during the Ministry of Housing and Water-Central Housing and Planning Authority’s Region Three Dream Realised: Land Allocation exercise, today, at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora.

DPI learnt that both Ms. Patsy Singh and Ms. Kamaldai (only name given) applied for land in 1993, but were unable to secure house lots.

Ms. Patsy Singh selects her house lot from an envelope held by Minister of Housing and Water, Hon. Collin Croal (CH&PA IMAGE)

Minister of Housing and Water, Hon. Collin Croal presents the document to Ms. Kamaldai (CH&PA IMAGE)

Ms. Singh, 64, thought her dreams of homeownership went up in flames after the Ministry’s building on Homestretch Avenue was gutted by a fire in 2001.

She recalled her frustrations of going to the Ministry time after time, only to be told that there were no records of her application.

“They tell me I got to apply back again and I keep applying and they just get me going-coming and I ain’t able because I got to work to maintain meh children them. So, I just leave it down like that,” she said.

After decades of hopelessness, she now owns a house lot at Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara.

An overjoyed Ms. Singh extended gratitude to the President for his unexpected intervention.

Meanwhile, Ms. Kamaldai was given a house lot at Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara.

The woman said in 1995, the now late President, Dr. Cheddi Jagan issued her a house lot in Sophia.  However, her dreams of homeownership seemed to vanish after she was forced off her land by squatters.

“In 1997, they squat and take it away and since then I’m running for a house lot and I always get turned down…That is how come I get to rent house,” she said.

Ms. Kamaldai recalled waiting outside of the Ministry’s office in the wee hours of the morning hoping to get a chance to speak to a Minister or to get some form of assistance from staff.

Yesterday, she got an unexpected call from the Ministry asking her to attend the Dream Realised event and to bring all of the relevant documents.

“I feel very happy,” Ms. Kamaldai said. “I thank the President and the Ministers and all the employees,” she added.

Minister, Hon. Collin Croal made the presentations to the women on the President’s behalf.