DCE advocates reservation of land banks

The District Chief Executive for Bosomtwe in the Ashanti Region, Mr. Joseph Kwasi Asumeng, has called on chiefs in the area to take steps to reserve land banks for future development projects.

He said land availability was critical to any form of development both for the current generation and posterity and it was imperative for chiefs to set aside designated lands for specific projects.

Mr Asumeng who was speaking at a town hall meeting at Kuntanase, said the Assembly was prepared to provide technical support for chiefs willing to embrace the concept not only to make room for development projects, but also ensure proper planning of their communities.

The town hall meeting was an initiative of the Ministry of Information through the Information Services Department (ISD), to provide a platform for government agencies to engage the public on government’s policies and programmes.

It was attended by heads of decentralised departments, assembly members, civil society organisations, youth groups, representatives of identifiable groups and the general public.

The DCE bemoaned the rate at which people were building haphazardly without permit and cautioned perpetrators to quit the practice or face the wrath of the assembly.

He said the unpatriotic phenomenon was not only inimical to the assembly’s fight against unauthorised structures but also denied it the needed revenue to prosecute its development agenda.

He admitted that most roads in the district were deplorable, but was quick to add that the district would significantly benefit from the Greater Kumasi Roads Facelift Project which the President recently cut sod  for its commencement.

Other feeder roads in the district, according to him, would also be tackled to give them some facelift to facilitate smooth transportation of foodstuff to market centres.

He entreated the people to promptly pay their property rates and taxes, adding that execution of development projects largely depended on the assembly’s internally generated funds.

Mr Akrasi Sarpong, the Regional Director of ISD said the town hall meeting offered the public the opportunity to interrogate government officials on the implementation of programmes and urged the public to patronise the exercise.

He said the forum could help government to solicit feedback on its flagship programmes and aid it to improve on lapses to make the needed impact on society.

Participants took turns to ask varied questions on education, health, sanitation, Agriculture, roads and jobs.

Source: GNA