Morobe plans to evict illegal settlers

By PISAI GUMAR
THE MOROBE provincial peace and good order committee is considering evicting illegal settlers on state land and those along the banks of the Bumbu River.
Committee executive officer and deputy provincial administrator district services Patilias Gamato said based on plans to avoid further hostility in Lae, Banana Block on Cassowary Road and China Town and the Bumbu River banks would be removed.
Buimo CS comman­der Timbi Kaugla also urged the committee to remove the Drai Wara settlement near the
institution because people there hindered efforts to recapture escapees.
Kaugla pleaded with the committee to help resolve overcrowding at Buimo jail.
He said the jail had 115 more prisoners than its 500-prisoner ceiling.
The committee will provide two buses to repatriate some prisoners to jails in the Highlands.
Kaugla’s request for additional health staff members was granted.
Lae district administrator Robin Calistus was tasked to identify illegal settlements and give formal letters before evictions.
The committee set in place the Yumi Lukautim Lae City programme, which is similar to Yumi Lukautim Port Moresby programme to employ youths, Gamato said.
The committee called for the government to re-introduce the Vagrancy Act despite it being unconstitutional.
It asked the government to give some powers to the provincial government to control the informal business sector.
Gamato said the
committee had endorsed K8 million to meet costs, including the police operation, while the Morobe Mining Joint Venture, Aus­AID and Salvation Army had shown interest in helping where possible.
The committee met with Lae Chamber of Commerce president Allan McLay and Lae metropolitan comman­der Supt Nema
Mondiai about their strategies yesterday
after a press conference at the provincial disaster and emergency office along Markham Road.