Dept clarifies land role

 THE Department of Lands and Physical Planning has played a major role in the development of major infrastructure projects, according to secretary Romilly Kila-Pat.

Kila-Pat told The National that the department facilitated land allocation and identification for land use types in the country.

“In terms of land identification and allocation, we facilitate various land use types,” he said. 

“We are involved in the stages of identifying land, who the owners are and making it available for whatever use it may be.

“Like we did for the Liquefied Natural Gas projects, they gave us two weeks and we delivered the titles on time. 

“The department has been recently involved in a lot of government projects including the Stanley Gas project, the second proposed LNG project and the Pacific University in Southern Highlands.

He said the department identifies land for landowners. 

“Although our role may not be involved directly in the actual project, our part is in the initial stage of landowner identification if it’s customary land,” he said. 

“We’ve done a lot of things in the department. 

“The perception is very different from outside because people do not understand what we do.

“The land belongs to our people but anyone who is squatting on State land is   illegally occupying and has no right to stay on that land.”