Settlers have 10 days to vacate area

 SETTLERS at the Javani Tais, located at the back of Papuan compound and Bugandi Secondary School in Lae, have 10 days left to pack up and leave the area.

About 500 people from various provinces who settled on the once mosquito infested swamp area were issued eviction notices on March 16.

The concerned land portion 508, section 86, allotment 14 and 15 is alleged to have three different owners – Labu Lunda clan, Morobe provincial government and PNG Ports Corporation Ltd.

Labu Lunda clan leader Alex John said the government had acquired the land without their knowledge and agreement.

“These settlers, mostly highlanders, were evicted from different settlements around the city and have nowhere to go. 

“I feel for them as human beings to provide land for them to settle as evicting people without due human rights consideration is injustice,” John said.

Lae district administrator Robin Calistus said that PNG Ports Corporation Ltd has the title to portion 508, while provincial government has the title to portion 509 section 86, allotment 14 and 15.

“The portion 509 will be used to build Javani Industrial Park and therefore the provincial government had issued a 30-day eviction notice to first 105 households; the rest will be issued this Saturday,” Calistus said.

“The eviction notice was served on March 16 and will lapse on April 16 as the bulldozer will move in to level the land on April 17.

“Ample time was allowed for them to look elsewhere as far 40-Mile and Situm to acquire land to settle. This is normal eviction exercise we are following,” Calistus said.

 and it is different from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that remove people at Maus Markham for Lae Tidal Basin project; there will be no compensation but transport will be provided to remove them,” Calistus said.

He added that some settlers who resided within the perimeters of the portion 509 at the back of Bugandi and 2-Mile’s Zero and One Block would also be affected.

Lae city mayor James Khay met with settlers from Javani Tais and 2-Mile on Sunday.

“These are humans that reside in settlements but contribute their labour to the state and companies therefore eviction exercise need to be done accordingly taking into consideration human dignity and rights,” he said.