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In light of the judgment of the Court handed down last Friday dismissing the judicial review applications by some of the occupants of Tsz Tin Tsuen, the Government will resume the clearance of the Tsz Tin Tsuen tomorrow (September 28). The clearance exercise, which should have taken place on September 9, had been put on hold until September 27.
The site is urgently required for the construction of about 5,000 public rental housing flats for completion by 2016 to meet the Housing Authority's housing programme.
A government spokesman said today (September 27): "All statutory procedures for the clearance operation have been duly taken. All the affected lots were resumed either under the Lands Resumption Ordinance or Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance and reverted to the Government on July 17, 2009. Clearance notices were posted on July 2, 2010, requiring the occupiers to cease occupation before August 3, 2010. A grace period has been granted since August 3 and the clearance exercise that should have been carried out on September 9 has been withheld up to September 27, 2010."
The spokesman stressed that the housing project was already behind schedule and any further delay that would have an adverse impact on the three-year average waiting time for those on the public housing waiting list must be avoided.
Ends/Monday, September 27, 2010
Issued at HKT 17:11
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