By John Myers Jr. Staff ReporterTHE PLANNED relocation of
a section of the squatter community along the Portmore causeway, St. Catherine, to pave the way for the development of Highway 2000, is being greeted with mixed reaction from residents.
According to the residents of the small shanty town, located just over the Causeway bridge going into Portmore, they were told in a meeting three weeks ago that those living on the right side of the roadway nearest the Hunts Bay Estuary, would be relocated to the left side of the road to facilitate the construction of the new six-lane bridge connecting Kingston with St. Catherine and Clarendon.
While a portion of the community is embracing the planned relocation, some members are insisting that the process of selecting persons who will get assistance is being carried out unfairly. The selection process runs to the end of April.
GRATEFUL
Roy Johnson, president of the Causeway Fishermen and Vendors Association, declared "wi grateful for di little assistance weh wi a get, the greatest concern is that the timeline for di preparation of the land is kind a short."
Mr. Johnson said those to be relocated were told that they would be getting $30,000 for the replacement of a small shed and up to $40,000 for the relocation of a large one, and would be provided with electricity, piped water and the necessary sanitary conveniences. However, 75-year-old Grosford Mitchell is concerned that not all those being affected will receive assistance.
"I don't feel justified...you have lots of people on this side who are not fishing, and not a fish vendor, getting assistance... and you have many little fisherman sharing one shed because of no space and dem nah get no assistance," he said.
"It don't fair, same way a man can come off di road and come juck up a likkle shed and get a donation (to relocate), the fisherman weh legal and have a boat should si something' to," Mr. Mitchell, one of the many fishermen operating from the Causeway since 1980, declared Monday. But Dr. Wayne Reid, chief executive officer of the National Road Operating and Constructing Company (NROCC), the agency with direct supervision for the construction of Highway 2000, said plans for the proposed relocation of a section of the fishing village is not finalised, as the relevant agencies, including the National Environment and Protection Agency (NEPA), have not given their approval yet.
He said he could not say definitively whether the area in question will be the relocation site for the inhabitants, but adds that a decision would be made by month end.
A team from Bouygues Travaux, the developers of the highway, is currently carrying out soil testing around the Causeway in preparation for the construction of the motorway.
