News
State Minister Lanza wants Gazette acquiring additional 4400 acres to Muthurajawela rescinded
by Saman Indrajith
Rural Roads and Other Infrastructure State Minister Nimal Lanza told Parliament yesterday that the government should not acquire 4,400 hectares of land to increase the size of the Muthurajawela wetland in the Negombo, Wattala and Ja-Ela areas as per a decision taken by the Urban Development Authority.
The State Minister said that the decision had created social unrest and public protests against the government. “His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, too, has opposed this move. This plan to take over 4,400 hectares to the Muthurajawela Wetlands through a gazette notification issued on Oct 07. There has been an original gazette declaring the size of the wetland as 1,447 hectares in 1998. We must protect that area. But the new Gazette has added 4,400 hectares covering a land that has temples, churches, kovils, houses and homesteads of people. It is natural that they come out to streets in protests and go before the courts because those establishments had been there for the past 150-200 years. This issue has been taken up in all churches in the area on Sunday. The issue creates unnecessary problems and public displeasure against our government,” the State Minister said.
“We need to protect the environment and the wetland, but I plead on behalf of the people that this error should be rectified. The new gazette should be withdrawn without further delay and creating unnecessary problems and agitations against the government,” State Minister Lanza said.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya met with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dr. Kristalina Georgieva, at Temple Tress on the 17th of February
Dr. Georgieva, commended the Government’s efforts in stabilizing the country’s economy and in managing recent economic and natural shocks. She noted that Cyclone Ditwah had caused severe impacts, especially on economically vulnerable communities, underscoring the importance of targeted support and resilience-building measures.
The Prime Minister expressed appreciation for the IMF’s continued support to Sri Lanka, particularly in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah. The PM further emphasized that real economic recovery and development must directly benefit the economically vulnerable groups and ensure inclusive growth, highlighting the need for Sri Lanka to attract quality and sustainable investments, particularly in the tourism sector.
The importance of reforming the education system to focus not only on knowledge acquisition but also on skills development and employability was also discussed
The meeting was attended by the Chief of Staff of the IMF Managing Director Andreas Bauer, Director, Asia and Pacific Department, Dr. Krishna Srinivasan Division Chief (Strategic Communications), Communications Department, Pierre Mejlak Resident Representative for Sri Lanka Dr. Martha Woldemichael, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, and Deputy Governor Dr. C. Amarasekara, Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri and Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister Ms. Sagarika Bogahawatta.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution forwarded by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to relocate the Deniyaya Base Hospital after constructing a new hospital with a capacity of 300 beds at an estimated cost of Rupees 6,000 million.
The Southern Provincial Department of Health has acquired a plot of land in Handford estate which is approximately 03 kilometres away from the town for this purpose.
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