KINGSTON, Jamaica — SCJ Holdings Limited (SCJ) is today clarifying that its recent demolition exercise in Red Hills was the final legal resort following seven years of notices, consultations and written agreements.

This statement follows concerns raised by the Leader of the Opposition, Mark Golding, in the media recently, regarding the relocation of persons from the lands in Red Hills.

It said the decision to relocate the residents in question emanated from a policy decision to make marginal former sugar lands available for housing and other productive use.

In a statement today, SCJ explained that the actual relocation decision was taken in 2013 and negotiations commenced in 2014 under the previous administration of which Golding was a Cabinet member. It noted that the policy of optimal use of SCJ’s land assets was continued by the current administration.

“The SCJ only serves the Government’s policy mandate and not that of private ‘big players,” the company said.

Noting that Golding raised concerns that there was no water in Ebony Park, where the residents are relocated and settled, and that they must pay for trucks to carry water, the company said the trucking of water is paid for by SCJ in addition to the water tanks that SCJ has provided to each house.

Furthermore, it noted that the houses are all connected to the National Water Commission’s supply.

“Being fully aware, however, of the unreliability of the water supply in the area, the tanks that were provided are filled bi-weekly by SCJ, at its expense. The submission that the residents have had to pay for water is untrue, and in fact the several years of their residence at Red Hills, all utilities were paid for by SCJ.

“It is also worthy of note that the SCJ went further in assisting one householder in securing a home at Chedwin Gardens which that person opted instead to rent out while continuing to illegally occupy the property at Red Hills,” the company said.

SCJ also noted that another household, which received two houses for the one they occupied previously in Red Hills, had a member of that household complaining that he was left out of the relocation exercise.

“This statement is unfortunate as SCJ has documentation, not only to prove that he was accounted for and that his family received an additional house in the stead of the one they had before, but also to evidence that he occupied the house of another resident, who had voluntarily relocated, in a wilful attempt to secure a third house for his family.

“It was alleged that the residents were ordered to relocate without proper arrangements being made in respect of their relocation. It was also alleged that all work done in respect of the relocation was done by Food for the. It is important that the public and Mr Golding are informed that this is not accurate,” SCJ continued.

The company said Food for the Poor was engaged by SCJ at a cost of US$7,600 or J$1.147 million per house. The cost of the 10 houses built so far is US$76,000 or J$11.47 million.

The 10 households relocated were, additionally, paid a total of J$500,000.00 to offset the costs associated with the relocation. This is in addition to being provided with trucks to assist with their relocation at no cost to them.

A further J$1.514 million in compensation has been paid for fruit trees planted by the relocated persons.

Each householder was provided with a 320 square feet house with two bedrooms and a bathroom, along with a modern on-site sewerage system and a land area of 10,000 square feet (nearly a quarter of an acre). Including the verandah, each house is 344 square feet in area.

SCJ Holdings Limited is an agricultural land management company that is wholly owned by the Government of Jamaica. It has been mandated by the government to act with due care and sensitivity for the needs of the former sugar workers who have occupied the lands.