News

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

Published

4 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

French Navy Ship ‘BEAUTEMPS BEAUPRE’ sets sail from Colombo

Published

4 hours ago

2025/05/14

Priyan

The French Navy Ship ‘BEAUTEMPS BEAUPRE’ which arrived in Sri Lanka on a goodwill visit (09 May 25), departed the island on Tuesday (13 May).

The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.

During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of ‘BEAUTEMPS BEAUPRE’ visited some tourist attractions in the country. In addition, the Commanding Officer and a group of
crew members of the ship called on senior officers of the Sri Lanka National Hydrographic Office (SLNHO) to discuss key hydrographic matters of bilateral importance.

News

“Clean Sri Lanka” joins hands to Improve facilities and sanitation at Kotmale Regional Hospital

Published

5 hours ago

2025/05/14

Priyan

Following the bus accident in the Garandiella area of Kotmale, a large number of injured individuals were admitted to the Kotmale Regional Hospital for treatment. In response, the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme has collaborated to improve the facilities and sanitation of the hospital.

Accordingly, the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme actively worked to clean the hospital ward complex and the hospital premises, aiming to create a comfortable environment for the patients’ treatment and to enhance other facilities.

A notable aspect was the voluntary participation of the local community in this effort. The “Clean Sri Lanka” secretariat appreciates the dedication shown by the doctors and hospital staff of the Kotmale Regional Hospital, who provided emergency treatment to those injured in this unexpected incident despite having access to limited resources.

News

Battle for control of CMC rages; SJB draws fire for alleged bid to appoint defeated candidates

Published

8 hours ago

2025/05/14

Sahan Weerasooriya

Flaws in law blamed for chaos

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is in turmoil over naming of members to the Colombo Municipal (CMC) where it won 29 slots – 14 elected and 15 on the list at the recently concluded Local Government elections.

Political sources said that resistance was growing within the party over moves to accommodate defeated candidates as well as those listed at the expense of successful candidates. Among the defeated is SJB’s mayoral candidate Dr. Ruvaiz Haniffa.

Sources said that in terms of the Local Government Election Act there was no restriction in the number of defeated candidates that could be accommodated at the expense of those who were elected. As 25% of the members of a particular council has to be women, more successful members had to be dropped, sources said, pointing out that none of the female candidates were among the 14 SJBers elected at ward level.

The National People’s Party (NPP) won the CMC by securing 48 seats, including six from the list. Political sources said that in spite of both NPP and SJB declaring that they could a secure majority in the 117-member CMC. NPP polled 81,814 votes (48 seats), SJB polled 58,375 votes (29 seats), UNP polled 26,297 votes (13 seats), SLPP polled 9,341 votes (05 seats), SLMC polled 8,630 votes (04 seats) Independent Group 03 polled 5,934 votes (03 seats), Independent Group 05 polled 4,659 votes (02 seats)

United Peace Alliance polled 4,473 votes (02 seats), Sarvajana Balaya polled 3,911 votes (02 seats), Independent Group polled 3,640 votes (02 seats), People’s Alliance polled 2,754 votes (01 seat), National Freedom Front polled 2,398 votes (01 seat), United Republican Front polled 2,157 votes (01 seat), Independent Group 01 polled 1,909 votes (01 seat), Independent Group 02 polled 1,791 votes (01 seat), Democratic National Alliance polled 1,370 votes (01 seat) and National People’s Party polled 950 votes (01 seat).

Political sources said that the Local Government Election Act had caused much turmoil with many of those who had been elected by the people deprived of an opportunity to serve their respective local government body. Sources alleged that the system in place at Local Government was far worse than appointing defeated candidates to Parliament through the National List. In terms of the Parliamentary Election Act, an elected member could be replaced only by the candidate who polled the next highest number of votes at the election from the same district, sources said, pointing out Local Government winners at ward level were axed to accommodate both defeated as well as those on respective lists of political parties.

Sources said that once the appointment of all CMC members was finalised the number of elected people axed by political parties could be known. Sources said that perhaps political parties and election monitoring groups should inquire into the shortcomings in the Local Government Election Act.

by Shamindra Ferdinando