The Assembly has already given similar leases to 47 other families and its legal department is currently processing another 27 leases.
Chief Secretary Orville London presented the leases to the 19 families, some of whom have been living on the property for almost 50 years.
He told the recipients that their lease was renewable for another 99 years and as a result the property was theirs to do whatever they liked but urged them not to sell the land. “When we give you the lease we have control over what you do with the land; you can give it to your children, we have no control over that. I have a problem if you sell it because we did not take Tobago people’s money to invest in the land and for you to sell it to buy a car. You should be ashamed if you sell it,” he said.
London added: “I am very concerned with this. You are not going to let us down. It is going to bring benefits to all those involved. This is for you; this is for your children and your grand children.”
The cost of surveying the property, the preparation of legal documents and registration of the deeds were paid for by the THA.