Ministry to forcibly remove squatters from Dump

FALMOUTH, Trelawny:

THE WATER and Housing Ministry, on Wednesday, warned that it will be forcibly removing squatters from Government lands in a section of Trelawny known as Dump.

The illegal settlement is adjacent to the multi-billion dollar Falmouth Port project.

In a release on Wednesday, the Housing Agency of Jamaica said it would also demolish the structures built by the residents.

The agency, however, did not say when it would be carrying out the eviction, but said the Dump lands are to be used as part of the Port project.

It also said it will be removing the residents to facilitate the opening of the port.

According to the agency, the majority of the residents have ignored the eviction notices which were served on them in May, last year.

The Housing Agency said of the 114 households which were served notices, only 30 have complied with the relocation requirement.

The agency also said between May and September last year, each household was given $45,000 to help with their relocation to residential lots in Hague, Trelawny.

However, some residents of Dump in Falmouth are expressing anger at the planned exercise to forcibly remove them from their community.

Some residents said they are willing to move but the relocation site at Hague is unsuitable because it does not have light and water and other infrastructure.

Another resident who was preparing to relocate lost all his belongings in a fire Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett sought to assure that all would be in place for the opening of the new Falmouth cruise ship pier on March 22.

Bartlett gave the assurance following a meeting with tourism stakeholders on Wednesday, after two days of strike action by 450 workers at the construction site.

The industrial action has resulted in the delay of the cruise ship, Navigator of the Sea, from calling at the port today.

The ship will now arrive on February 17.

On the matter of the preparedness of Falmouth, Bartlett said while work was yet to be completed in the town, he was satisfied that all would be in place for the opening of the cruise ship pier.

Bartlett said while Falmouth stands to lose some 4,000 of 475,000 cruise passengers originally scheduled to call at the port, Jamaica would benefit since the cruise ship has been re-directed to Montego Bay.

Meanwhile, Jamaica Labour Party caretaker for North Trelawny, Senator Dennis Meadows, said the potential for instability at the Falmouth Cruise Ship Pier remains.

He said though the workers were back on the job, the issues over which they went on strike have still not been resolved.

Senator Meadows said two of the Ministry of Labour's top technocrats were expected to visit the work site today in an effort to have the matters resolved.

Ruddy Mathison contributed to this story