4
MONDAY, JUNE 10, 1974
KOWLOON BAY SQUATTER SHOP OPERATORS
NOT ENTITLED TO RE-PROVISIONING
**** ***,* -
REFERRING TO CLAIMS BY A GROUP OF SQUATTER SHOP OPERATORS OF THE KOWLOON BAY AREA THAT THEY WERE LEGALISED SHOP OPERATORS AND THAT THEY SHOULD BE RE-PROVISIONED, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT SAID THEIR REQUESTS WERE OUT OF THE QUESTION AS SHOPS IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES WERE LET BY PUBLIC TENDER SINCE 1969.
+IN FACT, THESE SHOP SQUATTERS WERE GIVEN SITES ON THE RECLAMATION IN 1967 AND 1968 ON THE CLEAR UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE GETTING ANYTHING UPON CLEARANCE AND ALL OF "THEM HAD SIGNED UNDERTAKINGS TO THIS EFFECT, THE SPOKESMAN
SAID.
+HOWEVER, + HE CONTINUED, +EX-GRATIA CASH ALLOWANCE WILL
BE OFFERED TO THOSE WHO FUFIL CERTAIN CRITERIA.+
THE SPOKESMAN WENT ON: +THEY MUST BE ABLE TO PROVE THAT THE RESITE SHOP STRUCTURES OR THE PREVIOUS BUSINESS STRUCTURES WERE IN EXISTENCE BEFORE THE 1964 GENERAL SQUATTER SURVEY= THAT THE BUSINESS WAS CARRIED OUT CONTINUOUSLY IN 1965 WHEN THE SQUATTER SHOPS SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED AND THAT THEY WERE IN OPERATION AT THE TIME OF THE SCREENING SURVEY OF THE AREA IN MAY 1972.+
HE SAID THAT ANYONE WHO COULD PROVIDE DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE TO SUBSTANTIATE THEIR CLAIMS SHOULD FORWARD SUCH EVIDENCE TO THE DEPARTMENT'S BUSINESS INVESTIGATION UNIT IN THE MIDDLE ROAD OFFICE WITHOUT DELAY.
THE SQUATTER SHOPS TOGETHER WITH SOME 500 ILLEGAL DOMESTIC SQUATTER STRUCTURES ARE SCHEDULED TO BE CLEARED ON JULY 27, 1974.
ABOUT 2,000 SQUATTERS HAVE BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE DEPARTMENT AND ARE BEING OFFERED LICENSED AREA SITES.
+
15
ग