‘Triangle de Réduit’ Land, Government Commits to Honor Promises

In a significant development regarding the controversial land at ‘Triangle de Réduit’, the Minister of Housing and Lands, Shakeel Mohamed, has announced plans to meet with representatives from four sociocultural organizations. This meeting aims to discuss the return of land parcels previously reclaimed by the former government. This commitment was made in response to a question posed by MP Govinden Venkatasami during a parliamentary session.

There are expected to be major advancements regarding the state-owned lands originally allocated to various sociocultural organizations but later repossessed by the previous government for an alternative development project in Triangle de Réduit.

Minister Mohamed confirmed his intent to engage with representatives from the Indo Mauritian Catholic Association (IMCA), the Mauritius Tamil Cultural Centre Trust (MTCCT), the Hindi Speaking Union (HSU), and the Urdu Speaking Union (USU) to seek a resolution to the issue.

He emphasized that a commitment was made, both before and after the general elections, asserting that these lands would be returned if they were not being utilized effectively.

“We have initiated discussions to determine the most practical way to proceed,” he said.

In March 2023, the previous government decided to reclaim all undeveloped plots of land, leading to a series of legal disputes.

Among the six sociocultural organizations involved, two have actively used their land: the Mauritius Marathi Mandali Federation has constructed the Maharashtra Baran, while the Mauritius Sanatan Dharma Temples Federation has developed a sociocultural center.

However, the plots allocated to the Hindi Speaking Union, the Indo Mauritian Catholic Association, the Mauritius Tamil Cultural Centre Trust, and the Urdu Speaking Union remained untouched.

After issuing a 48-hour notice in April 2023, the government canceled the leases for these four plots.

In October 2023, a reservation letter was issued to Luxury Retirement Village Ltd for two of the parcels.

Nevertheless, the installation of fences around these sites occurred without the Housing and Lands Ministry’s approval.

Minister Mohamed reiterated the government’s commitment to returning the land to the original organizations and voiced concerns regarding potential breaches related to the reservation letter.

He specifically pointed out financial negotiations between the Mauritius Investment Corporation and the State Bank, which were conducted without ministerial consent.

As a precautionary measure, he indicated plans to seek guidance from the Attorney General’s office to ensure compliance with legal procedures.

Source: Defi Media