Sugar around the world →
Copyright © 2006 - 2009 Ethical Sugar
Site created with SPIP by
A. LE FLOCH
Kampala — THE land that the Madhvani Group applied for in Amuru district was a game reserve (public land) degazetted in 1975, the lands minister has said.
Omara Atubo said the land was later placed under the custody of the Uganda Lands Commission, which leased it out.
He was yesterday reacting to allegations by MPs Michael Ocula (FDC ) and Simon Oyet (FDC) that people were grabbing land belonging to displaced persons and that the district land board planned to allocate land to the sugar company.
In March, the Madhvani Group applied for 20,000 hectares of land to establish a sugarcane plantation and a factory in the district.
However, the investment has raised controversy among the locals and area MPs, who have argued that the land belongs to the displaced persons and not the Government.
The MPs from Acholi, however, said they were not opposed to the investment but demanded that the allocation of the land be halted until displaced persons return home.
They also demanded that the investment be co-owned with the locals.
Atubo said on November 10, the sub-county committee submitted a report to the land board recommending the land allocation.
He called for support for the investment, saying it would generate income, employment, improve social infrastructure and generate revenue for the district.