PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad–The Trinidad and Tobago government says it is taking “all necessary steps to acquire and take possessions of the lands” as angry Tobago residents on Thursday condemned the eviction of at least two families to facilitate the extension of the TT$1.2 billion (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) ANR Robinson airport expansion project.
Finance Minister Colm Imbert, in a statement, said the lands in question are urgently required to construct the new airport terminal in Tobago. The state has been in discussions with the occupants of these lands for the last three years.
“These protracted discussions have delayed the commencement of construction of the terminal building, and the cost of the delay is now costing millions of dollars,” he said.
The government said it had secured a loan of TT$300 million to pay residents for the properties which were to be acquired for the project to be constructed by the China Railway Construction Ltd with the
National Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (Nico) as the project manager.
On Thursday, residents clashed with police and several of the workers from the construction company while the evictions were being carried out. Eviction notices were sent to the residents in early May.
After several hours of intense confrontation, the families were allowed to stay in their homes temporarily until the matter was fully ventilated in the courts.
A statement issued by the Office of the Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) noted that the residents and their attorney had obtained an emergency court hearing at which they planned to file an injunction against the eviction.
In his statement, Imbert said he had taken note of a press release issued by the THA giving the impression that the THA has given instructions to the Commissioner of State Lands to cease acquisition proceedings for lands required for the construction of the new terminal building and that the Commissioner of State Lands has complied with these alleged instructions.
“The Minister of Finance wishes to clarify that any such impression is inaccurate and misleading. The THA has no such power to instruct the Commissioner of State Lands.
“Accordingly, in accordance and compliance with the law and the prescribed procedures for applications to the High Court of Trinidad and Tobago, the State is taking all necessary steps to acquire and take possessions of the lands as an urgent priority to avoid further delays, and further cost escalation on this urgently needed and significant infrastructure project,” Imbert added.
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