Who is occupying Barnes Place land?

3 December 2015 12:28 pm

The Voice against Corruption Organisation today lodged a complaint with the Anti Corruption Committee Secretariat alleging that a former Cabinet Minister had forcibly taken over a Rs. 100 million worth block of land belonging to the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) at Barnes Place, Colombo 07.

VAC member and JVP Western Provincial Councillor Sunil Watagala said the 154 perch-block had been taken over by the CMC in 1980 but had not been put to use so far.

Watagala said the said the former Minister had taken over the land through his gangsters with the knowledge of the Mayor and OIC of the Cinnamon Garden Police station.

“Former Commissioner of the Colombo Municipal Council Badrani Jayawardena had one time complained to the Cinnamon Garden Police that a group of men had been squatting on the land.  But the Police did not take any action. They continue to stay on the land,” Mr. Watagala said.

He asked the government to gain possession of the land if good governance and rule of law prevailed in the country Mr. Watagala said he expected Anti Corruption Committee Secretariat would take action against this incident as there was a lawsuit of illegal use of land and illegal intrusion into a government land. (Ajith Siriwardana)


 

Video by Sanjeewa