The youths of Mataqali Nawavatu in Kalabu Village, Naitasiri, are urging the Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Lands Minister Filimoni Vosarogo to investigate why the iTaukei Land Trust Board is withholding their money without an explanation.
The youths allege they received $1.5 million late last year and were supposed to receive the remaining $1.4 million around New Year, but nothing has been deposited so far.
They claim that TLTB negotiated with a foreign investor and calculated a distribution of $2.9 million for individual Mataqali members without obtaining consent from the Mataqali.
They further emphasise that TLTB should understand the role it plays for landowners, while it holds authority, it does not own the land.
The youths say ownership remains with the landowners, and authority should be used to maximize their benefit, however, leases are being granted without Mataqali authorization or approval.
They also say that the only approved lease for their Mataqali is the Bayview project and any other leases granted by TLTB after that were not approved by Mataqali Nawavatu.
While responding to questions by fijivillage News, Minister for Lands Filimoni Vosarogo says it would be respectful for the members of the youth group to let their elders demand for answers from the TLTB.
Vosarogo says he is aware of the $3 million they paid to the landowners from the 100 bed hospital in Nasinu, but that was already Native Land leased to the State.
He explains that all they needed was TLTB's consent to change the land's purpose from education to special use as a hospital.
He says this is a nation-to-nation agreement between Fiji and India and that meetings were held with the Turaga Ni Mataqali and the Turaga Na Qaranivalu before he approved payment from the State to TLTB.
The Minister says that if it is the same land, then TLTB did not secure any investor, as this is a bilateral agreement between the nations of Fiji and India.
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