Nine of the twelve farmers who will be affected by the construction of a modern hotel and ancillary facilities at Buccament Bay are in breach of their 1992 lease agreement.

While four of the farmers have paid for their lands, one has breached the covenant by constructing a dwelling house and Prime Minister Dr Gonsalves said legally the leases can be brought to an end “just like that.”

“There is no question about it in the law,” said Gonsalves, who practiced law for 20 years. Gonsalves had on May 8 written the farmers soliciting their cooperation.

In the May 8 communiqué, Gonsalves had said government would paid for all crops including those belonging to the delinquent farmers. Additionally, payments would also be made for any structures, including the any dwelling house and lands of similar value provided.

Existing lease monies would be transferred to new lands, there will be a relocation allowance and special considerations for any specific circumstance, Gonsalves said.

Gonsalves had also said, if the farmers did not cooperate, Government would act under the law and would not be obliged to do anything more than the law requires.

“I am urging the farmers to take very sensibly that letter what I wrote to them,” Gonsalves said on Tuesday, adding that persons were encouraging farmers not to move. “Well, that is a joke,” Gonsalves said.

He said the delinquent farmers do not have “a legal leg to stand on,” adding “Those who have paid outright have their special arrangements which have to be made.”

Dr Gonsalves said the delay would delay the project, the first phase of which is scheduled to be completed by next March in time for the Cricket World Cup.

“There are some people who are obviously advising them (to) drag it out, drag it out, drag it out so that the developers will throw up their hands in the air. But that area is earmarked by this government for tourism development,” Gonsalves said.

He added: “I have acted reasonably in every single respect so that nobody can accuse me of arrogance or unreasonableness in this matter. But, I have a mandate to carry out and it will be carried out.”

Government has earmarked the area in Buccament for the construction of a modern hotel and ancillary facilities, which require some 26 acres of land.