DEPUTY Prime Minister Dr Puka Temu said he was not in a position to legalise squatter settlements and urged the provincial authorities to take immediate action to remove them before they get bigger.
Dr Temu, who is also minister responsible for Lands and Physical Planning, said the powers to deal with such matters had been delegated to provincial governments and urged them to come up with development plans for the towns and cities.
He added he had also discussed the issue with the NCD Governor and hoped action would be taken soon.
Dr Temu was responding to questions from Moresby Northeast MP Andrew Mald.
Mr Mald, in his series of questions, said that land lease allocations were for specific purposes like commercial, residential, industrial, agricultural and special purpose lease.
He said the State must address these issues before serious problems crop up in the future.
were encountered in future and called on Dr Temu to investigate.