Cancerous corruption and land grab aided by govt institutions

Gradual land grab covered by polythene fences

Newly appointed NPP municipal council member Ms. Dayani Karunarathne spearheading clearing garbage dumb at UDA land Pic by Pradeep Dilrukshana

By Adhitya Dissanyake 

Corruption, especially within the government sector and the political system, has been endemic over the years despite continuous regime change. The issue is so serious that it’s become a cancer in Sri Lankan governance. The National People’s Power (NPP) government which came to power mainly on an anti-corruption campaign finds it so hard to battle it. The main stumbling block had been  some of the state institutions themselves and their officials. There is an  open war between some of the ministers of this government who publicly criticise  government officials. 

It was in this backdrop in May this year that Japan made a strong criticism on Sri Lanka’s corruption and even went on to say that Japan, one of Asia’s superpower countries, is a victim of the corruption that is rooted in the tiny island nation of Sri Lanka. This humiliating observation was made by Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Akio Isomata at a roundtable discussion organised by the Pathfinder Foundation. This stinging conclusion was made by the envoy from a strong partner country and a powerhouse which  has supported Sri Lanka on many occasions and stood by her on both good times and the worst. 

Scathing criticism

The scathing criticism came because of the entrenched corrupt practices that are openly visible in Sri Lanka’s system, mainly in connection with the politicians who were in power up to November 2024. Even though this government and its politicians have not had a hand in such notoriety (old or new), a deafening silence to some of the corrupt practices started during the time of the  Rajapaksas and continued during Wickremasinghe’s tenure  now raises a strong question mark. This is the reason for the Japanese envoy’s  criticism.

Land grab at Mirihana

One such example is the continuing land grab in Mirihana, Pitakotte areas belonging  to the Urban Development Authority (UDA) by hooligans connected to former governments. A paddy field and a marshland in Mirihana in Kotte had been subjected to severe damage by parties with vested interests. In broad daylight,  the land which was once a rich paddy land been encroached with the blessings of the UDA officials. Despite many protests and media exposures,  the land grab has been going on and the area had been  first used cunningly as a garbage dump and then encroached. 

The location is not  any hidden hideout. It’s just about five hundred meters from where Prime Minister of the country, Ms. Harini Amarasuriya, lives and belongs to the same Gramasevaka division. 

Yet the problem of land grab had been continuing and as in most of other cases it is allegedly due to the inaction or keeping a blind eye by the very owners of the land, the Urban Development Authority. Strange  to say,  everybody can see that the UDA land without any regard for law and order is been encroached  in broad day light but no authority has the guts to say no to this ‘Corruption’. 

During the previous government, when the issue related to this land by Pitawella road off Buwanekaba Mawatha in Mirihana was taken up at the meetings of the Maharagama Divisional Secretariat, but   many officials managed to cover it up or put it under the carpet. Some genuine government officials like Grama Niladaris and other lower level officials have often protested without any results. 

It is corruption of this nature that countries like Japan or other donors want to see put to an end in Sri Lanka. This would prove that the NPP government has truly made a  genuine change. 

  However,  following the election of local government authorities some rays of hope have been evident. The newly appointed Maharagama Urban Council members from the National People’s Power made it a point to prioritise cleaning the dumping ground of  this UDA marshland  with a Shramadana campaign two weeks ago. But even this effort was sabotaged by some government authorities who did not participate at the event,  and even did not send the necessary vehicles like  a backhoe. But despite the debacle,  the newly appointed NPP municipal council members went ahead with their cleaning up.  

 These are some ray of hope for Sri Lanka under the new regime.

It is because of this that a little more than a month later following  the envoy’s bitter remarks,  Japan has pledged US$ 2.5 million to support a new anti-corruption initiative aimed at strengthening institutional capacity and promoting transparency in public governance in Sri Lanka. 

Despite ‘Clean SL’ campaign… UDA allows Garbage Dump in Kotte

Mirihana marshlands being filled by organised groups