Latest update May 6th, 2024 12:59 AM
Apr 25, 2013 News
Members of the Rupununi Miners Association (RMA) and other prospective miners of Region Nine have rejected the lottery system proposed by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission.
The miners are objecting to the method being employed for the lottery, which they feel will undermine their chances of acquiring the prime lands released by the Romanex Mining Company.
The mining lottery was born out of a bitter struggle by the miners to secure their access to lands at Marudi, Region Nine that they have been mining for decades.
This was after they were forcefully removed by heavily armed police ranks and some other private security concerns two months ago.
Their removal made the headlines when a video tape and photographs emerged showing a policeman whipping a woman and her children, who were lying on the Marudi trail leading to the mining district.
After the Marudi Incident, the Rupununi Miners Association met with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and Minister Robert Persaud to discuss the issue. At that meeting, the Minister promised to give 25 Special Mining Lotteries to Miners from the Marudi district.
This special lottery would have guaranteed that lands in the gold-rich Romanex concession go to miners from the Rupununi.
However, according to the RMA, this agreement was subsequently reneged on.
“At that meeting he (Minister) delegated Mr. Danny Singh to work out the mechanics of the special lottery. Mr. Danny Singh even asked me to wait for four days to collect the special mining forms. I did collect the special miming forms for Marudi. Also at the meeting, the Honourable Minister said that he wants to see that the ordinary porkknocker and miners who do not have enough must elevate themselves and that they must be given a chance to do so, with the special and the other blocks in the Lottery,” President of the RMA Sugrim Singh explained.
According to Sugrim Singh, it is now strange that following the review of the Romanex Licence, lands were given up and yet those lands are not in the lottery.
“Why? Is it being kept for special persons? The miners in Region 9 petitioned the Government and through their heroic struggle got the government to review the Romanex licence and got them to release lands. Why this land cannot be given to Region 9 residents and other Guyanese?” Singh asked.
He said that the blocks that the GGMC is giving out are in the Amerindian villages and Deep South Rupununi. This, he said, will later create problems for miners with the Amerindian people.
A meeting was held at Aishalton on Sunday last by officials of the GGMC, at which all the villages of Deep South Rupununi were represented. The meeting ended with the villagers and miners not being satisfied with the new arrangements, hence the rejection of the lottery system.
They plan to picket the Regional Office in Lethem, the site for the hosting of the lottery.
GRA catch EXXON trying to hunch GUYANA over 11 BUS dollars in one shot!!!!
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