Demarcated areas outside Knuckles boundary: Ministry

The Public Enterprise and Kandy City Development Ministry yesterday said the report of the team of auditors sent to the Knuckles Mountain Range had revealed that the lands demarcated for the proposed-projects were outside the rock boundary of the mountain range.

Ministry Secretary Ravindra Hewavitharana told the Daily Mirror that they had sent a team of auditors last week to inquire into the alleged transfer of 21,000 acres of land in the Knuckles Mountain Range to close associates of government ministers.

He said the report had also revealed that there had been nothing proposed to establish within the Knuckles Mountain Range as per the auditors findings followed by several investigations.

“The auditors were accompanied by officials of the Department of Forest Conservation, Grama Niladharis, Superintendents and officials of the related companies and residents of the area. The team has reached the site with the coordination of Global Positioning System (GPS),” he said.

“The eco-tourist project which is proposed to be established in this area is outside the rock boundary of the mountain range. We will make more considerations since it is a high environmentally sensitive area,” he added.

He said the report of the team of auditors would be sent to Minister Lakshman Kiriella in the coming days.

Earlier, the Movement for Land and Agriculture Reform (MONLAR) claimed that these lands which were managed by State Plantations Corporation and Elkaduwa Plantation Limited had been given to close associates and relatives of two powerful ministers. (Kalathma Jayawardhane)