A bus company in Suva claims surveyors from the Ministry of Lands reduced by almost 200 square metres the size of the land where its depot sits.
The new boundary cuts through the company’s garage and places its fuel tank outside of its premises.
Relocation of the fuel tank will now cost about $400,000, says Central Bus Company director Mahendra Nair. He said the scheme plan issued when he bought the company two years ago showed the business, which was established in 1965, had a land area of 870 square metres.
“But the title we eventually received from the ministry reflected only 671 square metres and excluded the area where the fuel tank sits,” he said.
“The company was using this land for decades and the fuel tank alone has been there for a minimum of 25 years,” he said.
“The estimated cost to relocate the fuel tank and the loss of bus space would cost the company around $400,000.”
Mr Nair said the company had made several attempts to draw attention to its predicament for months.
“We wrote to the surveyor general and later to the minister. The minister acknowledged the letter, but nothing happened.”
Mr Nair said time was of the essence and the company had documents to produce to the bank.
Lands Ministry permanent secretary Paula Cirikiyasawa said the ministry had received the complaint and followed the required processes.
“The directives from the minister or Director of Lands require us to conduct an internal investigation and table the report to management,” he said.
In this instance, the ministry responded to the complaint, and the company director accepted a new lease for registration for a term of 99 years.
He said all bus companies were informed that the boundaries were not final.
“It is imperative to note the registered Approval Notice (A/N) has outrightly mentioned subject to final survey.
“The survey was conducted in accordance with the Surveyors Regulations in good faith and has appropriately followed the legislations surrounding the surveying aspect. Unfortunately, there are no further avenues of redress apart from court action.”
