A group of concerned residents in Chan Pine Ridge Village are seeking for answers after, according to their understanding, the land and the water tank that once provided the community with potable water was sold. A resident, Damian Tzul told CTV-3 News that the tank was taken down last Friday and as a resident of the community he and a few others want to know what has happened with the property belonging to the community.

Damian Tzul - Resident, Chan Pine Ridge Village

"It was alleged that it was sold and also this plot of land that you see back here and it is said that it was sold also so the villagers wants to know exactly who authorize them or whoever sold it who authorize them to do so, if any monies was aid and to whom it was paid because the villagers want to know it is a concern. We understand that BWSL is one that have purchase the land we don't know but we want them to come forward and we are asking the Rural Development Officer to come forward to convene a meeting with the chairman of Chan Pine Ridge and inform us exactly what has transpired with this transaction that was made without the consent of the people of Chan Pine Ridge."

It is understood that BSI donated the land to the village community. The property was reportedly sold to Belize Water Services. Tzul says they have done their research and tried calling the Public Relations officer at BWS and were told that they don't know about the situation but would investigate. This was about a month ago and according to Tzul they have not gotten a response. Under the circumstances, Tzul says he has sought additional assistance.

Damian Tzul - Resident, Chan Pine Ridge Village

"We have sought legal action with the advice of our council, we will write them an official letter and wait for respond and we will give them a time frame and if nothing doesn't occur then we will take legal action, we will file a report to the police and make it justice take its course. I would just like to ask the villagers of Chan Pine Ridge that make we stand up united and not take it as politics because it is our concern and our issue we as villager supposed to know actually what happened, the monies that were paid to anybody or whoever sold it need to come forward."

The community was connected last year to BWS but the sale of the water tank and the land it stood on is only one concern for Tzul, however.

Damian Tzul - Resident, Chan Pine Ridge Village

"SIF said to us that they cannot find funds to construct a new water tank at this place and they cannot do it too because the water from that pump is contaminated with the feces of rat bat and the cattle that around here and as a point of that well people decided to connect with BWSL last year we were connected and we all believed that the water that they were supplying to us was from the water tank from Orange Walk Town, however to our knowledge now is that this same well here is supplying water to us at Chan Pine Ridge so we are paying from our same well and we villagers are not benefitting on nothing so that is another issue and another concern also."

We tried contacting the Village Chairman at Chan Pine Ridge but we could not reach him. We also called at BWS to find out about the allegations but the principal Public Relations officer was not in office. We will keep following the story.

CTV3