RESIDENTS of Milner Village, Couva are still waiting for a meeting with the Board of the Anglican Church, to discuss their concerns about the church trying to reclaim lands which their properties are built on.
Some of the residents made a call for a meeting with the board on April 2.
They did so after expressing concerns that the church was trying to evict them from their properties and reclaim lands which the village was built on 100 years ago.
Resident Arnold Sinanan said, "We dropped in a letter asking for a meeting two weeks ago. Still no response."
He also said an attorney who has been advising residents, sent a document dated 1833 to the church.
Sinanan added that the document suggests that the lands which the church owns is located to the east of Milner Village.
On April 2, The residents said if the matter cannot be resolved through dialogue, they will be considering their legal options.
The village, which is located off Carlos Street and the Southern Main Road in Couva, is home to 120 people. The majority of these people are pensioners.
Sinanan's father Jimison received a letter dated March 28, which asked him to leave his property in the village on or before March 31 or he would be evicted.
Jimison is still at his current residence.
Another resident Ann Millington-Hicks said different residents got different letters with different eviction dates.
On the same day, Anglican Bishop Claude Berkley was confident that the board would be willing to meet with them to address their concerns.
Berkley said, "My knowledge is that the church has been striving to regularise tenancy on lands across Trinidad and Tobago (which it owns)."
He added, "Carlos Street is one of the long outstanding ones."
Berkley said,"My hunch is that the board (of the Anglican Church) has taken a decision to press on with what is procedural."
He was certain that the board would be willing to meet with Milner Village residents to discuss their concerns.
Berkley believed this matter with Milner Village "has come now after some kind of extended reaching out to the tenants."
He reiterated that the issues related to the village are "many years old."
Referring to eviction notices served on the residents, Berkely said, "That tells us that something is not moving."
Against this background, he continued, the board would be willing to discuss this with the residents.
Berkely did not know off-hand the acreage of land the church owns at Milner Village.
"I gather that there are many plots of land that have been occupied over many years."
While he could not indicate where else in TT the church was trying to reclaim lands it owns, Berkely said issues such as squatting and people trying to take over occupancy from other people.
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