Vendors construct stalls on $260M Water St plot
Stabroek News
July 31, 2003
With plywood and zinc, vendors are busy constructing stalls on the Toolsie Persaud Ltd (TPL) land on Water St compulsorily acquired by the government for $260M.
The City Council continued to maintain yesterday that the vendors’ occupation of the land is not illegal and steps are in place to develop the site.
When Stabroek News visited yesterday over 20 stalls were up and vendors were selling to a few customers wandering around. The vendors said they were not moving from the land, as the government would “take care of things”.
Contacted yesterday, Acting Town Clerk, Andrew Garnett said the verification process for the allocation of stalls would continue. He said the Council would install lights on the site in another week’s time, construct sanitary blocks, clear the drains and repair the fence.
The vendors were assured on Tuesday by Deputy Mayor, Robert Williams that the issue with regards to their occupation of the land was settled already in Parliament and that the only matter still outstanding was that of compensation. The courts ruled last week that the government must pay $260M for the land. The company has since challenged the ruling in an appeal filed on Tuesday. It has also applied for a stay of execution of the court order but a date is yet to be set for the application to be heard.
Moreover, TPL has an order of prohibition issued by Justice Dawn Gregory-Barnes, made absolute on November 14, 2002, prohibiting Mayor Hamilton Green, “from granting permission or licences to street vendors or allocating stalls for vending or carrying on any commercial activities on the Water Street site.”
