News

Kirielle asks President to visit his Hantane property and see if there has been any environmental damage

Published

6 years ago

2021/03/23

By Saman Indrajith

Chief Opposition Whip and Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella yesterday said that he was ready to give a land belonging to him at Hantana for an environmetnal project of the state and extended an open invitation to the President, government officials and media to come and see for themselves or to hold an investigation on the ownership of the land.

Addressing the media at the Opposition Leaders’ office in Colombo, MP Kiriella said that the President at a recent meeting had spoken about the land in Hantana, claiming that none was talking about clearing forest in Hantana area by a senior minister of a former government. “Nobody talks about it because there was no environmental destruction. If there had been destruction of the environment, the media and environmental organisations would have already been there. I invite the President and his officials or any organisation with an interest including the media to come and see what really this is about,” MP Kiriella said.

He said: This is a land of which the documents are older than 100 years. We have the ownership for 30 years and prior to that it belonged to white men for 70 years. Tea and pepper had been cultivated there but it had been abandoned for years in recent times, as I had no time to attend to them because of my active politics. The land comes in the area of Hantana Reserve that was declared in 2010. This is a land where tea and pepper had been cultivated about 90 years back. In the 1980s I even applied to cultivate tea to the Tea Smallholding Authority. Although the Hantana area was declared a reserve we do not lose our ownership. Any such land could be cultivated but it should be informed to the Hantana Committee under the chairmanship of the district secretary. When there was an agricultural drive under the present government, I instructed my family members to see whether we could start cultivating that land. They removed the shrub to enter the land and it is now being described as clearance of forest. Anyone has a right to enter his or her land in this country. None can prevent a rightful owner of a land entering his or her land and there is no need to get prior permission to it.

“I and my family members do full time politics so we are not disturbed by allegations, but there is a duty for the media to find the truth. There are 12 buildings in a land adjacent to my land and five of them have been constructed after 2010. Those buildings have not yet even been registered in the Pradeshiya Sabha and they do not even pay rates.

“Before 2015, I offered to donate this land to a bhikkhu from Weliweriya to build a monastery there. Ven Bhikkhu visited the land but pointed out that he would not have the environment of a temple there because there is a holiday resort in the adjacent land. I have no desire for this land which I have once offered to the Maha Sangha. We are a family that has thousands of acres of land. We still have Sannasa given to our great great grandfather Kirielle Jayasekera Mudiyanse by King Keerti Sri Rajansinghe in 1761 giving him 10,000 acres of nindagam for his services to capture several Dutch fortresses in the Southern province. My wife’s grandfather is the Mahawalatenna Rate Mahattaya of Balangoda who owned thousands of acres. Some of those lands were taken over by the government under the land reform laws leaving 50 acres. So we are not a family that has a craving for lands.

I am ready to discuss with the government to offer this land for an eco-sensitive project. There is no point in talking in air-conditioned rooms about environment protection. I therefore invite you all to come and see for yourselves the truth.

All News Advertisement

News

Record 1,600 students take Russian Classical Ballet examination in Sri Lanka

Published

12 hours ago

2026/10/18

Priyan

More than 1,600 students sat this year’s Russian Classical Ballet Examination, the largest number ever to take part in the examination in Sri Lanka. Exams were held in Colombo from 5, to 18, October and in Galle on 10 October.

Students aged four and above came from across the island, including Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Negombo, Matara, Kelaniya, Panadura, Wattala, Kiribathgoda, Ratnapura, Kandy, Kurunegala, Bandarawela and Badulla. They are taught by 15 dedicated teachers trained in the Vaganova method, the renowned Russian system of classical ballet training.

They were examined by Dr. Oxana Karnovich of the Moscow State Academy of Choreography, a distinguished academic and curator.

The Russian School of Ballet and Dancing was established in 2001 by Michael Ustinov, Buddhapriya Ramanayake and Mrs Chandi Aluvihare, with Mrs Galina Pleshakova as its founding instructor. Today the School is led by Director Madam Maria Popova, Counsellor of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Sri Lanka.

News

Buddhist hierarchy demands prison perks for monk convicts

Published

17 hours ago

2026/10/18

Thilina Walpola

MONETABRIEF– Sri Lanka’s two most senior Buddhist chapters, Malwatte and Asgiriya, demanded special concessions for monks serving prison sentences, following the disrobing of convicted monk Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara in line with established procedures.

The chief prelate of the Asgiriya chapter, Most Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana, told Prisons Commissioner Senaka Palletenna that Ven. Gnanasara, who is serving a six-year sentence for contempt of court, must be released immediately.

Prison authorities have no power to release or pardon convicts, but Palletenna told the monk in Kandy on Friday that he would convey his request to the relevant government authorities.

“There is no point in talking about this and that… The entire country has been shaken (??????? ) . He must be released,” the Asgiriya chief prelate said.

The Malwatte chief prelate, Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala, appeared to accept the court verdict against Ven. Gnanasara, but asked the prisons chief whether a separate section could be established for convicted monks.

Palletenna noted that a special ward for the clergy already existed at Welikada Prison.

At least 63 convicted Buddhist monks are currently incarcerated within Sri Lanka’s criminal justice system.

Meanwhile, a group of 34 Buddhist monks named in a Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court order to vacate the vicinity of the Presidential Secretariat ended their protest and dispersed after lunch on Friday.The monks are demanding an unconditional pardon for Ven. Gnanasara, who has previously been imprisoned, making him a reconvicted prisoner.

News

Debate on NCM against Speaker postponed indefinitely

Published

17 hours ago

2026/10/18

Thilina Walpola

The debate on the no-confidence motion against Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, submitted by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), has been postponed indefinitely pending the Attorney General’s opinion on certain technical issues in the motion.

Government representatives raised the matter at a meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business, pointing out that several provisions of the motion required clarification and that the Attorney General’s advice should be obtained.

As obtaining the opinion would take time, the debate could not be scheduled for the next parliamentary week, parliamentary sources said.

Chief Opposition Whip Gayantha Karunatilaka said a date for the debate would be decided after the Attorney General’s advice was received.

Meanwhile, Parliament is scheduled to meet from October 20 to 23, Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera announced.

The parliamentary business for the week was finalised at a meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business held on Friday (16) under the chairmanship of Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih.

On each sitting day, the period from 9.30 a.m. to 10 a.m. will be allocated for parliamentary business under Items 1 to 6 of Standing Order 22. Questions for Oral Answers will be taken up from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., followed by questions under Standing Order 27(2) from 11 a.m. to 11.30 a.m.

On Tuesday, October 20, an Opposition-sponsored Adjournment Motion will be debated from 11.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.

On Wednesday, October 21, a resolution under the Public Debt Management Act and a Supplementary Estimate will be taken up for debate and approval from 11.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The annual reports of five statutory institutions will subsequently be presented for approval without debate, while questions at the Adjournment Time will be taken up from 5 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.

On Thursday, October 22, the Second Reading debates on two Bills to amend the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Bills Nos. 79 and 80) will be held from 11.30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The annual reports of five statutory institutions will then be taken up for approval without debate, followed by an Opposition-sponsored Adjournment Motion from 5 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.

On Friday, October 23, the Second Reading debate on the Elimination of Rabies and Registration of Dogs Bill will be held from 11.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. A Government-sponsored Adjournment Motion will be debated during the final half-hour of the sitting.