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Siyambalanduwa PS Chair denies illegal land grabbing taking place

27 Oct 2021

  • MONLAR claims Wattegama-Kebiliththa Forest Reserve falling prey to acquisition by businessmen 
By Dinitha Rathnayake  Siyambalanduwa Pradeshiya Sabha (PS) Chairman Saman Warnakulasuriya dismissed the claims made by the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR) where they alleged that lands belonging to the Wattegama-Kebiliththa Forest Reserve in the Siyambalanduwa Divisional Secretariat (DS) Division in the Monaragala District are being acquired in an organised manner. Lands belonging to the said Reserve are being acquired by several businessmen and lawyers, and are being cleared and prepared for the expansion of the cultivation of maize as a monoculture, the MONLAR alleged. The current Government’s land policies are being utilised for this purpose, according to MONLAR Member Sajeewa Chamikara. Chamikara also claimed that few politicians in the current Government are also involved in these activities, including the Promoting the Production and Regulating the Supply of Organic Fertiliser, and Paddy and Grains, Organic Foods, Vegetables, Fruits, Chillies, Onion and Potato Cultivation Promoting, Seed Production, and Advanced Technology Agriculture State Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa. Speaking to The Morning, Warnakulasuriya claimed that he is not aware of this incident and further claimed that Rajapaksa could not possibly be a part of these allegations. “Rajapaksa has other things to do rather than clearing lands. He is not someone who doesn’t have properties. I totally deny these claims. If there is such an incident, I should know.” Despite several attempts, Rajapaksa could not be contacted for a comment. This Forest Reserve, which connects the Yala National Park and the Kumbukkana Forest Reserve, is a state-owned forest that has been under the control of the Forest Department since the enactment of the Forest Conservation Ordinance, noted Chamikara. He added that this forest has been declared as a Forest Reserve by the Gazette Notification Number 1789/9 dated 12 November 2012 in terms of Section 3 of the Forest Conservation Ordinance as amended by Act, No. 65 of 2009, which declared a forest area of 28,926 hectares/71,537 acres as a reserve. “Therefore, this forest reserve is directly related to the water security of agricultural lands spread over a large area. This forest system and certain lakes are very useful in restricting the access of wild animals into villages and farmlands,” Chamikara added.


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