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by Galewela group correspondent

Seventy three vegetable wholesale dealers those who have lost their bases of business as a result of the opening of the Dambulla special Economic Centre in the year 1998 have formed themselves into a society to fight for their rights. They had conducted a protest program at Dambulla Divisional Secretariat premises on December 21, 2001.

On their request Matale District MP Ranjith Aluvihare visited the scene and investigated the matter.

The traders have also forwarded a memorandum to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe seeking a solution to their problem. According to this memorandum they have highlighted the unfair political influence and malpractices in the distribution of the stalls. In this document they have complained that out of the 144 stalls constructed all the PA members of Dambulla, Galewela and Pallepola Pradeshiya Sabha and two very close relations of a former Deputy Minister were given stalls while two have been given to two persons residing in USA.

Fifty other stalls are also alleged to have been sold to others. This transaction had taken place before the Wayamba Provincial Council election. The applicants for the stalls in the newly constructed Special Economic Centre, were told to support PA at the said election, those who declined to fall in line were branded as UNPers and were refused access into the stalls.

The traders have also drawn the attention of the Prime Minister to the scheme of the Dambulla Divisional Secretary to issue deeds to the present holders of the stalls. The urge the Prime Minister to do the needful to hold a full investigation into this matter and to redistribute the stalls among suitable vegetable traders soon.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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