Minister of Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries Clarence Rambharat has promised to undertake an immediate audit of state land in T&T, particularly Caroni 1975 Ltd.
He said if red flags are raised in the distribution of lands under the People’s Partnership, the People’s National Movement (PNM) “will deal with it.”
The audit, Rambharat said, will be one of the many issues he intends to deal with when he takes up duty tomorrow.
Rambharat made the disclosure minutes after he was sworn in as minister on Friday at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s.
Questioned how he intended to treat with the Couva-based conglomerate Super Industrial Services which was accused in March by former commissioner of State Lands Ian Fletcher of illegally occupying some 35 acres of state land in Perseverance Village, Couva, Rambharat said, “The very first thing I intend to do is to have an audit of state lands to find out where we are, in particular, an audit of the transactions relating to Caroni 1975 Ltd. I know a lot of work has gone out already in mapping state lands. I know we will be using an internal consultant whom I met as part of the discussions on the PNM policies.”
The land in Couva which SIS occupied belonged to Caroni Ltd and was once vested to the Estate Management and Business Development Co Ltd.
Having served as a chief executive officer at Caroni 1975 Ltd, Rambharat said when he left the sugar company in 2004, “I knew what was the state and usage of the lands. Between 2004 to now, we have to satisfy the citizens of this country that those lands have been well managed...they are where they are supposed to be. And If there are transactions that raise a red flag, we will have to deal with that.”
The minister could not say exactly when the audit will begin.
Rambharat, with a background in law, said he would use the experience he obtained at Caroni 1975 Ltd to help him manage his ministry.
He said once he teams up with Parliamentary Secretary Avinash Singh, a University of the West Indies graduate with a wealth of farming expertise and skills, they would take the industry forward.
Commenting on squatter regularisation, Rambharat said they would treat with the issue in a humane and practical manner.