News
Kandy lawmaker’s daughter called to court on Hantane land clearance
The Kandy Additional Magistrate issued notice on Chamindrani Kiriella to appear in court on October 11, following a case that has been filed by the Central Environmental Authority in regard to the violation of the 2010 Gazette Notification No: 1641/28.
Kandy Police noticed seven organisations on a complaint by the Hantane Surakeema Sanvidanya that the protected area is being destroyed.
The Hantane Management Committee, the Divisional Secretary, Central Environmental Authority and others involved in the Hantane Reservation had been summoned to court. The CEA told court that the complaint was investigated and a case filed. The police told court that since the CEA had taken action, they would withdraw.
But the lawyer for the Hantane Surakeema Sanvidanaya told the court that the police should be involved, or else the alleged offenders could interfere with the land.
The 2010 Gazette notification by the then environmental minister Patali Champika Ranawaka outlines the boundaries of the Hantane Reservation. It also specifies that land above 3,000 feet can only be used by pepper and tea plantations.
The notice also says at paragraph (7) that all plantations at 3,000 feet and above which is pepper and tea, could be maintained with the permission of the Tea Research Institute, the Department of Agriculture, according to their advice on the composition of soil and water. At paragraph 14, it prohibits the use of any abandoned land in this area for any other purpose. There are 20 paragraphs in this notice that prohibits the annihilation of the Hantane range.
In the meantime, on a Parliament letterhead, as the Sri Lanka Parliament’s Opposition Chief Whip and Kandy District Member of Parliament, Lakshman Kriella said in a press release, “Certain interested parties using various media forums for narrow political gain are attacking me and my family members through the media. During the past few days through the media there had been accusations regarding the land which belongs to my family. The land in connection of 08 acres has been the property for over 30 years and was bought by me on November 30, 1990 from a proprietary planter Andiris Jayasinghe. This land has been a private property since 1947. According to the records of the Land Registry. Our rights have been registered in the Pradeshiya Sabha. According to the news that was published, Hantane land in question does not belong to the state.
“According to the terms of conservation of Hantane, the owners have a right to develop the plantations using organic fertiliser and towards this end an application has been made.
“After the formation of the new government and the enthusiasm towards this end, the already cultivated land had no proper access and therefore with responsibility, the grown weeds and grass were cleared so that an entrance could be made to enter the land over the overgrown grass. As the owner of the land I have a right to do so. As a person who loves the environment and in his private property of mine, I say with responsibility that there is not a single tree that has been felled or any other environmental hazard has taken place on this land of mine. I have given a copy of he Gazette notification to Kandy Police.’’