Oropouche West MP Slams Rambharat Incompetence

The Member of Parliament for Oropouche West, Mrs. Vidia Gayadeen-Gopeesingh is condemning the Minister of Agriculture Land and Fisheries, Clarence Rambharat for his incompetence and his inability to treat with state land administration after four years at the helm of the ministry.

In a release issued on Wednesday the MP stated, “The state land administration system in Trinidad and Tobago has collapsed and the PNM has not exhibited an iota of commitment to deal with this burgeoning issue. Since 2016 Minister Rambharat has been complaining of a backlog of 75,000 state land files awaiting attention, and pledged that it would be sorted because the issue was one of the government’s sixteen (16) agriculture manifesto promises, however true to form, PNM style another empty promise three years later. ”

Mrs. Gayadeen-Gopeesingh indicated that during the 4th session of the 11th Parliament she posed many questions to both Minister Rambharat and the Attorney General in relation to the failing land administration system. However the responses proffered by both cabinet members were simply window-dressing and mamaguy.

The MP continued, “Both the AG and the Minister with the responsibility of land administration gave assurances that they are working to modernize the system and made amendments to the Land Adjudication Act, The Registration to Titles Act and Land Tribunal Act. Conversely, we have the Minister stating that the Ministry cannot find the applicants of approximately 5,000 agricultural and residential leases. So what have they been doing in the ministry for the past four years? Did the AG waste parliamentary time in order to seem productive?”

Commenting on the issues within the Office of the Commissioner of State Lands, a division under the purview of Minister Rambharat the MP noted, “As an Attorney I have had many clients waiting for years for deed of leases. I am informed that hundreds of files are left sitting on the Commissioner’s desk, whilst she twiddles her fingers. You cannot expect persons to sit around and wait for umpteen years then blame them for your incompetence.”

Mrs. Gayadeen- Gopeesingh concluded, “Minister Rambharat is a Senator with one responsibility, which is to run the Ministry of Agriculture Land and Fisheries, a job in which he has failed miserably. He should focus on the job he currently has and give up his preoccupation with Chaguanas East.”

Vidia Gayadeen- Gopeesingh

Dated: 7th August 2019