21 July 2018 06:14 pm
The Corporation last week said it had withdrawn some projects attached to the mountain range after finding out that the land set aside for those projects were located within the Knuckles conservation area.
MONLAR member and environmentalist Sajeewa Chamikara told Daily Mirror that the allegations made by them, on the move to give 21,000 acres of land in the mountain range to some investors, had been proven with the revelation made by the Corporation Chairman.
“It was revealed that the Corporation has withdrawn two projects about to begin encompassing the Midlands Estate and Hare Park Estate after they found out that these lands were located in a conservation area. It was also mentioned that Cabinet approval has been given for another 46 projects to begin on lands within the mountain range,” he said.
“The claims made by Public Enterprise and Kandy City Development Minister Lakshman Kiriella, that no land had been given to any investor to carry out any project in the mountain range, has also been proven wrong with this revelation,” he added.
He said the government was attempting to conceal their moves in order to give away these valuable lands to some companies and added that legislations and policies with regard to these lands had also being amended to proceed with the said move.
The MONLAR earlier claimed that these lands, managed by the State Plantations Corporation and Elkaduwa Plantation Limited, had been given to close associates and relatives of two powerful ministers.
Mr. Chamikara said 6,192 of the 9,675 hectares belonged to the Corporation while 2,363 of the 3,693 hectares belonged to Elkaduwa Plantation Limited from the lands attached to the boundary of the Knuckles Forest - a total of 21,400 acres. (Kalathma Jayawardhane)