"The Truth about the Belle Vue Cane Farmers Marketing Co-op Society"

“The Truth about the Belle Vue Cane Farmers Marketing Co-op Society”

Feb 25, 2019 Features / Columnists, Letters

Dear Editor,
We refer to your letter dated, 19th February, 2019, page 5, titled “The Co-operative Movement of Belle Vue is under threat”. This letter is inaccurate and seeks to paint a wrong picture of the co-op, so let us clarify the details and debunk the various claims made by the “concerned and affected co-op members”.
Firstly, it all started in the year October 2009, when the Co-op Society took these errant farmers to arbitration and the award went in favor of the Belle Vue Co-op Society. In April 2010, the Belle Vue Co-op started to accept farmers applying for the repossessed lands.
The errant farmers then, complained to several government offices. After investigation was done by the then former Cabinet Secretary the errand farmers agreed to accept monetary compensation ranging from $500,000 – $1,500,000.
The Chief Cooperative Development Officer (CCDO), Ms. Perlina Gifth, held a meeting on the 30th January, 2018 with the said complainants at the West Bank Demerara Regional Hospital to address the matters put forward and it was agreed that the “concerned members” to repay the compensation/sold shares monies to Mr. Deodat Deokinandan and re-apply for new membership.
And to this date, no one had done so.
And by September, 2018 the said complainants illegally went into the Belle Vue cane cultivation and started to plant various crops. Reports were made to the CCDO department in Georgetown of this illegal act where subsequently letters were issued dated 2nd October, 2018 by the CCDO stating that they are occupying and cultivating the Belle Vue cane lands illegally.
On the 15th October, 2018, Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Mr. Keith Scott, visited the Belle Vue cultivation and held a meeting with the said complainants, where he advised them that a meeting to address the matter will be held on 23rd October, 2018 at La Retraite Primary School, West Bank Demerara, but subsequently, no one showed up to voice their concerns.
On 8th February, 2019, Minister Keith Scott returned to Belle Vue to reemphasize the fact that they are illegally occupying and cultivating on the land. So all claims made that the CCDO and Minister have ignored and refused to have meetings with them are all false.
Furthermore, the reason why Mr. Hassan was approached by the CID from the La Grange Police station instead of Wales Police Station, is because Wales Police station CID station is at La Grange Police Station. And indeed the complainants wrote letters to the President, Mr. David Granger, where he acknowledged and refer them to the CCDO.
The complainants even submitted illegal/bogus leases to the Toevlugt/Patentia NDC proclaiming that they are the legitimate committee members of the Belle Vue Cane Farmers Marketing Cooperative Society.
I will ask the “concerned members” why haven’t they mentioned that they collected monetary compensation while others sold their shares of the land to Mr. Deodat Deokinandan?
The said concerns made by the complainants were previously addressed by GUYSUCO, by Dr.Roger Luncheon (then Cabinet Secretary), former Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Robert Persaud, former Minster of Labour, Mr. Manzoor Nadir and then former Minister of Labour, Mr. Nanda Gopaul which they all agreed to the fact that all claims made were not valid because they were expelled from the Co-op due to non-payment of their debts.
And lastly, the now Minister Keith Scott is brought into the matter and they (Francis Ferreira and others) are alleging that he was bribed along with the CCDO by Mr. Deodat Deokinandan. All of these claims are false and I wish that they tread carefully on those allegations since they are accusing Government officials of bribery with no evidence.
The matter will be legally dealt with in the coming days since the co-op and Mr. Deodat Deokinandan’s reputation is at stake.
This illegitimate members were misled by Balram Balkarran a Canada-based Guyanese to occupy the lands and later to fight for prescriptive rights and to use the lands as house lots.
Mr. Editor, this can never happen because the Co-op has a 25-year lease from GuySuCo from the year 2010 – 2035.
All evidence and documents can be provided.
Thank you.
The Legitimate Committee of Management of the Belle Vue Cane Farmers Marketing Co-op Society.

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