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| Friday, 13 August 2004 |
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| Anura Yapa refutes Rajitha's claim by Manjula Fernando and Nadira Gunatilleke Plantation Industries Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa yesterday openly denied former Land Minister Rajitha Senaratne's statement saying that President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and her son obtained lands from the Lands Reformation Commission (LRC). The LRC or any institution under the LRC had not received any request from the President or her son requesting lands. About 600 illegal land transactions had taken place during the UNF regime, Yapa said. Addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing at the Government Information Department, Colombo 5 yesterday, the Minister said that non of the land transactions taken place during the UNF regime had received the LRC's approval or the approval of the valuer. The lands had been given according to the wishes of others. The LRC has made a decision to cancel all illegal transactions that had taken place and will take legal action. A three member committee has been appointed to investigate the problem and the committee report will be made available to the media and the public. The lands had been given according to the wishes of others. The LRC has made decision to cancel all illegal transactions that had taken place and will take legal action. A three member committee has been appointed to investigate the problem and the committee report will be made available to the media and the public. The most important land transaction is the land given to Yasasiri Kasturiarachchi. 626 acres, 2 rudes and 15 perches from Kokowaththa had been given to him. He had made the request on 2002.03.17. Then Government had not responded to the request. The land has given to him on 2002.08.16 without any advance on assessment fee or evaluation fee. He was ordered to pay an advance of 1,48,782 before 2002.12.31. But he has not payed a single cent, said Minister Yapa. He said that 20 acres from Selvakandawatta, Embilipitiya has been given away for an advance of Rs.25,000. The land had confer to the person even without the assessment of the valuer. Over 40 acres from the same land had been coffered to a person named Mr.Silva without assessment and only Rs.25,000 had been obtained from him as evaluation advance. There are two large lands named Care park and Waitalawa Estate belong to State Plantation Corporation. The lands had been given to persons who do not have any knowledge on plantations. The lands had been totally destroyed. "We are unable to restore the original tea plantation of the estates because the cultivation is totally destroyed by the thicket grown over it. We have to invest a large amount of money to re-planting but we cannot afford it. The workers attached to the estates earn a living by cleaning the lands", he added. According to another land exchange taken place during the UNF regime 31 acres of undivided land, Rassagala Waththa had been exchanged to a 31 acre land from a very valuable tea state, Hantana land located nine kilometres away from Kandy town. The address of the persons who got the land was No.58, Skeleton Road, Colombo 5 which was the official residence of the former Plantation Industries Minister. Rassagala Waththa is belong to several persons including some relations of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga but she never made a request for a land exchange. We handed over the case to the Attorney General's Department. LRC Chairman Vidura Wickremenayake said that the LRC has purchased 17 computers for Rs.2.2 million but the software package is yet to come. Cash had been paid on 2003 and the computers arrived in April, 2004. Under Rathnabhoomi Program Rs.3.2 had been given to the Land Ministry to spend over publicity. The cash had been paid to an individual through a cheque under the direction of former Land Minister. Thirteen persons had been obtained salaries and unlimited fuel for the official vehicles during the former regime without signing the attendance register. Five vehicles out of 13 vehicles belong to LRC are out of use. "Because of this we cannot investigate the complaints made by the public. Today it is very difficult to pay salaries to the LRC employees", he added. He also said that during the UNF regime not a single deed had been issued and only deed covers had been made. Rs.14 had been spent over one cover but the State Printing Corporation had offered to manufacture one deed cover at a cost of Rs.4. Deeds had not been issued for the lands given to the people in 1973 and 1974. Steps will be taken to prevent wasting public money in the future in this manner. Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Mangala Samaraweera said that he has no debate with former Lands Minister Rajitha Senaratne and he can debate with the police officers and the officials who conduct inquiries about illegal land transactions. |
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