Urban drift

Govt eyes measures to address urban drift

While the Supreme Court has held the vagrancy act to be unconstitutional, Police Minister Bryan Kramer says there are existing provisions within the law where police and judiciary can use to address this social problem.

The uncontrolled movement of people into cities, better known as urban drift, exerts pressure on the limited resources of these areas. One good example is the manpower shortage of the NCD police, where the ratio of police to people is 1 is to 1,000.

Madang’s first step in tackling lawlessness: MP

Madang MP Bryan Kramer says one of his 2017 election campaign policy was to address urban drift, hence the exercise.

Once known as the ‘Pearl of the Pacific’, Madang town has now become one of the most notorious centres in the country.

Now into its second week, the social mapping program was rolled out to address the escalating urban drift and lawlessness that has plagued the once peaceful town.

“We’ve started social mapping…up to 300 houses already in one area of Madang where there’s a settlement that turned up in the last 5 years on church land,” stated Kramer.

VIDEO: Addressing urban drift

The department of provincial and local level government affairs is taking steps to make this attainable through implementing various impact projects in rural PNG.

 

Carolyn Ure with more