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Double standards in land acquisition
If the City of Colombo is to develop then a road expansion programme with better roads and wider roads is essential. No one would argue against it. But the basis on which particular roads are selected for broadening, developing and regular maintaining while most other roads are allowed to go into wrack and ruin is what one would call into question.

Many wonder why so much of priority is given for such road construction and are at a loss to understand as to why they should not only suffer the inconvenience of the continuous disturbance but to add insult to injury are compelled to sacrifice some portion of their land too.

The manner in which land is acquired for the expansion or broadening of such roads also remains a question. At certain spots the land is acquired only from one side of the road and the authorities do not bother to explain why this is so.

This kind of situation is not confined to Colombo alone but is common to other parts of the country as well. Many have been the complaints of residents whose lands have been acquired for so called road widening programmes under the guise of development. Many affected residents have often alleged and at times protested that in certain instances even the original plans had been deviated from.

A similar case of road widening much talked of now is that of the new link road being constructed between Kirula road in Narahenpita and Thimbirigasyaya and many similar questions and doubts plague the minds of the residents and the general public who live in and around the area. This road construction is a project mooted by the Colombo Municipal Council.

A 40 foot road had been partially constructed from two sides with the two sections still to be linked together due to the failure to evict some of the tenants living in the area. This is such an instance where people doubt the genuineness of the Municipal authorities in the construction of this road. From one side the road had been completed making it possible to approach four houses including the residence of Minister G.L. Peiris and from the other side the road construction has been stopped after completing a distance of about 150 metres.

The road beginning from the Thimbirigasyaya side had been hurriedly completed late last year and within a matter of a month though the land had been acquired way back in September 2000. For some unknown reason land for the road widening and construction had been obtained only from the side on which St. Theresa's Church, a convent and a home for the elders are situated. But the land on the opposite side of the road including that belonging to Minister G.L. Peiris remains untouched.

As a result of acquiring land from the convent and the elders' home side of the road the two buildings exposed left exposed and to make matters worse neither has compensation been paid so far. Deputy Lands Chief of the Colombo Municipality T.R. de Soysa claims that the deeds of the Church were very old and therefore they have not been able to check the ownership and says the matter was being looked into.

Meanwhile the road is open for use by the public. St. Theresa's Church parish priest Rev. Fr. Neil Karunaratne said he was expressing his displeasure on how the land had been acquired, leaving both the convent and the elders' home exposed.

The Church had already given its consent to allow the front portion of the Church land to be used for the widening of the Thimbirigasyaya road. The project is to be carried out by the Road Development Authority (RDA) and would get underway shortly.

Mr. Soysa said they were studying the street lines prepared many years back before they decide on the payment of compensation. Deputy Director of Road maintenance and Construction of the RDA, B.V.D.N. Chandrasiri says that last year they had wanted Rs. 3000 million to pay compensation, but had only received Rs. 1000 million for payments.

The question that begs an answer is the manner in which the authorities could build confidence among the people in persuading them to give up their land for development purposes when doubts arise about land acquisition and the payment of compensation is often delayed.

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