CJIA expansion to go ahead; squatters will move – Dr Luncheon

There is justification for the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project and government intends to have it executed, according to government spokesman Dr Roger Luncheon. “… so there is a questionable justification for the airport expansion and to that extent you can be assured that the administration intends having the project executed… the squatters who occupy land within the perimeter will have to move,” Dr Luncheon said at his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday last.
However, he said that the administration is willing to engage the stakeholders to determine the terms and conditions that will be applied regarding the relocation of the squatters within the airport’s perimeter. He added that relocation of squatters to facilitate major infrastructural projects has been done before, and all cases engagements, have led to those solutions.
“The airport expansion is extremely important amongst the transformative interventions that have been planned by this administration. Essentially, with a more modern facility, there is no question of the information of increasing arrivals necessary to synchronise from a vibrant tourism industry with aviation access,” he said.
Government has approved a US$ 138 million design and construction contract with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) for a project expected to include the extension of the airport runway to a total of 10,800 feet, to accommodate large transatlantic aircraft such as the Boeing 747.
The project also includes construction of a new terminal building, acquisition of eight boarding bridges, and installation of other state-of the-art equipment, such as elevators; escalators; and x-ray scanners, using three-dimensional technology; along with flight information and security monitoring systems. Construction will commence this year, and is projected to last for a total of 32 months. The project is said to be a representation of government’s ongoing efforts to transform and modernise the infrastructural landscape of the country.
It is projected that once completed, the project would ensure that the CJIA is able to deal with the steady increase in traffic for several years into the future, along with becoming a hub for regional and continental traffic. The expanded facilities are also expected to generate a wide range of economic activities, and create business and employment opportunities for thousands of persons, both in the construction and operation phases of the airport.
However, the development will cost the squatters within the airport’s perimeter and they are not ready for that. They have threatened legal and civil actions such as protest and other demonstrations, through their attorney, Alliance For Change’s Chairman Nigel Hughes, in late August. The Timehri North Community Development Council (TNCDC) said that the occupants do not possess any legal documentation for the land. However, they are not squatters because of the expectation given to citizens when government approached them to regularise the community. According to TNCDC Chairman Daniel Fraser, “ In 1997, or thereabouts, the Philomena Sahoye-Shury… in an ongoing discussion with settlers of different parts of Timehri and Hyde Park, embarked on a regularisation process.” “… an occupation survey was conducted; we were instructed to pool our resources to facilitate the upgrade of utilities and other essential services. We were also instructed to apply to that ministry (Housing) for the house lots we occupied and have Gy$ 75,000 at hand for when the officers initiated the final processing. This was also done,” he added.