With 15 Peter’s Hall residents rejecting Government’s offer for the acquisition of their properties for the construction of the new Demerara Bridge, the Government will now turn to the Court to determine a final compensation for the affected persons.

On the sidelines of today’s sitting of the National Assembly, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill said the Government, through the Attorney General’s Chamber, is in the process of initiating legal action, now that the order for “compulsory acquisition” has been gazetted and has taken effect.

“We have said to those who disagree with what was the government’s offer, you have a valuation, we have a valuation, you are making an offer, we are making an offer, we don’t agree. The law provides that a judge will determine what would be the price the government needs to pay to ensure that the person is not violated or robbed or cheated. So, we will approach a judge by way of an application to the court and the judge will determine the outcome,” Minister Edghill told reporters. 

He explained that the offers made by the Government were based on expert valuations done, and followed a series of consultations with the affected residents covering a two year period as provided for under the law. 

Minister Edghill said the Government is cognizant that while under the Constitution and the Laws, it can acquire property for the public good, the law requires that persons be consulted and compensated at fair market price.

He said after two years of consultation, offers were made based on “fair market price” and while 15 persons have objected to those offers, six persons have agreed to a settlement. 

“Some people, after hard negotiations, have accepted the Government’s final offer. Let me tell you what the offer entails. People who have commercial business getting commercial lands elsewhere, residential, getting residential lands elsewhere and a sum of money that will deal with dislocation and all the rest of it. Persons, who have to move almost immediately, or they have to move and they don’t have a place yet to go, because they have to fix on the new land they are getting, helping them with rental to facilitate all the rest of it,” Minister Edghill said.

The Government is still engaging some 19 other residents for the acquisition of their properties.

A number of residents from the Peter’s Hall area have called on the Government to present them with a fair deal. They complained that consultations have not been taking place, and they feel as though they are being bullied out of their homes.

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