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THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 1974
MR. MCGREGOR SAID THAT THESE THINGS ARE NOT ONLY POSSIBLE BUT ARE ALREADY HAPPENING WITHIN A STEADY PROCESS OF CHANGE. HE WAS ENCOURAGED BY THE PRODUCTS ON DISPLAY TO BELIEVE THAT THE FURNITURE INDUSTRY RECOGNISES THE WAY AHEAD AND IS ENERGETICALLY MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
COPIES OF MR. MCGREGOR'S SPEECH ARE BOXED THIS EVENING.
SQUATTERS ASKED FOR REHOUSING ******
ABOUT 120 ILLEGAL SQUATTERS OF CING CHỨNG TSUEN, NGAU TAU KOK, TODAY CTHURSDAY) APPROACHED THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT'S CLEARANCE SECTION IN MIDDLE ROAD AND ASKED FOR DIRECT REHOUSING OR POSTPONEMENT OF THEIR CLEARANCE.
THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS, MR. LESLIE POGUE, INTERVIEWED 12 REPRESENTATIVES OF THE SQUATTERS AND EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT THEY WERE NOT ENTITLED TO DIRECT REHOUSING BECAUSE THEIR HUTS WERE NOT COVERED BY THE 1964 GENERAL SURVEY OF SQUATTER HUTS.
HE FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT THE DEPARTMENT COULD NOT MAKE THEIR CASE AN EXCEPTION BECAUSE THAT WOULD MEAN STRIPPING THE CHANCE OF THOSE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR PUBLIC HOUSING.
MR. POGUE TOLD THE REPRESENTATIVES THAT THE CLEARANCE OF THE CHING CHƯNG TSUEN AREA WOULD HAVE TO BE POSTPONED FOR SOME TIME DUE TO THE VOLUME OF WORK INVOLVED IN SCREEENING AND CALCULATION OF COMPENSATION.
THE CLEARANCE OF CHING CHUNG TSUEN WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED OR JULY 16 AND 17 THIS YEAR. THE LAND WILL BE USED FOR CONTROLLED TIPPING OF REFUSE FOR THE NGAU TAU KOK AREA.
IT INVOLVED ABOUT 260 FAMILIES COMPRISING ABOUT 1,300 PEOPLE. A TOTAL OF 139 FAMILIES COMPRISING 675 PEOPLE ARE ELIGIBLE FOR PUBLIC HOUSING AND THE MAJORITY OF THEM HAVE TAKEN UP THEIR TENANCY AT SAU MAU PING ESTATE.
THE OTHERS OCCUPYING ILLEGAL STRUCTURES WOULD BE OFFERED LICENSED AREA SITE IF THEY WERE FOUND TO BE GENUINELY HOMELESS.
MR. POGUE SAID THAT THEY WOULD BE INFORMED OF THE CLEARANCE DATE AT LEAST ONE MONTH BEFORE THE OPERATION TAKES PLACE.
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