Land groups claim title

 TWO landowner groups in Mark­ham claim they are recognised by PNG Power Limited and the Government as stakeholders in the Ramu Two hydro-power development project.

They are the Maratam and Bintip landowner groups from Umi-Atzera, on the border of Markham, in Morobe, and Obura-Wonenara,  in Eastern Highlands.

Anis Tari, chairman of the Ma­ratan land group, and Stanley Samar, chairman of the Bintip land group, said their customary land was where the project site would be.

They were responding to a statement from the Kafore integrated land group in Eastern Highlands that they owned the land.

Willie Numo, deputy chairman of the Kafore incorporated land group, had said all matters regarding the landowners of the Ramu Two project must be dealt with by the Kafore incorporated land group “as we are the landowners”.

Tari and Samar said their groups and the Kafore landowners had signed the access agreement to allow PNG Power to carry out feasibility studies on their land last year.

“There are two groups of landowners in the Ramu Two hydro project – one is in Morobe and the other is in Eastern Highlands,” Tari said. “Since 2013, there were liaisons and feasibility studies conducted on both sides of the border. We clarify this so as to clear misconception and misunderstanding by potential development partners in this project.”