Law, no bar to solve people's problems - A. H. M. Fowzie
 

BY FLORENCE Wickramage

THE law will not be considered a barrier when taking action to attend to the needs of the public and to solve their just grievances, Environment and Natural Resources Minister A.H.M.Fowzie said in Polonnaruwa during a one day inspection tour of the district on Tuesday.

The farmer communities in Polonnaruwa and other civil representatives informed the Minister that the new amendments to the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance and the Forest Ordinance have impacted heavily on their economic livelihoods practically halting such activities and requested the Minister to grant them some relief.

The Somawathiya, Kavudulla and other flood-retention areas have been declared National Parks under the Director General, Department of Wildlife Conservation. In addition other valuable state lands under the Government Agents have been brought under the Forest Conservation Department.

Farmer communities in these areas were engaged in traditional livelihoods such as paddy cultivation, collecting firewood, sand mining, brick making and fishing.

This situation also exists in Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Moneragala, Badulla, Hambantota and Kurunegala districts.

Minister Fowzie hopes to appoint committees comprising officials from the Forest Conservation Department, Wildlife Conservation Department, Geology and Mines Bureau, Central Environmental Authority and the Pradeshiya Secretaries to attend to the matter.

These Committees will also identify sand dunes and take action to issue licences for sand mining and transport and land for cultivation under specially drawn up standards.