XN000022-1973-06-06 — Page 25

Prak

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Wednesday, June 6, 1973

Officers from the Housing Department and the staff of the City

District Office (Kwun Tong) have been visiting the area and have been available

for several weeks to give advice to factory-owners and shop-keepers on their

removal problems, the spokesman said. Officers of the Labour Department

have also been available to help workers find other employment.

In a letter to the "Industrial and Commercial Group of Ngau Tau Kok,

Western Area" on May 28 in reply to their two petitions to the Governor,

dated May 15 and 22, Mr. T.J. Bedford, Assistant Colonial Secretary said that

all the government departments concerned were doing all they could to minimise

any hardship arising from the need to develop the land for a major project

on behalf of the whole community.

He said it is earnestly hoped that all will co-operate by moving

their structures and equipment before June 12.

He reminded them that all Crown Land Permits had been cancelled over

a period in 1972, the last taking effect from April 1 of that same year.

"It is therefore true to say that you have been aware for a period

of at least a year that you would be required to remove your undertakings

from the area, which have always been sited there on a temporary basis,"

Mr. Bedford said.

The final and formal notice of the clearance given in March this year,

three months before the actual date of clearance, merely confirmed a state of

affairs of which all were well aware, he stressed.

/In reply