Demolition notices stayed

Wasantha Ramanayake

COLOMBO: The Court of Appeal yesterday stayed the notices given to demolish pavement stalls along Sirimavo Bandaranaike Mawatha, Colombo 15 by the Colombo Municipality.

Permits for the stalls had been purportedly granted earlier by the Municipality. Appeal Court Judge Justice K. Sripavan made the order sequel to applications by eight petitioners, pavement hawkers at Grandpass. The order is valid till September 22.

Counsel Hiran de Alwis for the petitioners submitted that the second respondent, the Municipal Commissioner had granted them places and permits for pavement stalls along Sirimavo Bandaranaike Mawatha, Colombo 15 on March 17.

The counsel submitted that just after six months, the respondents on August 26 issued notice on the petitioners directing them to remove or demolish their structures within seven days, purportedly for a road development programme.

The counsel submitted that there had not been any road development project contemplated in the area and submitted that the purported notice had been issued for extraneous reasons. He submitted that the petitioners had made the payments properly and had spent large sums for the stalls.

The petitioners sought to quash the notice. Eight petitioners including K.A. Chandrasena of Grandpass cited the CMC, its Commissioner, the District Engineer- District Office No.1 and the Attorney General as respondents.

Hiran de Alwis with C. Jayamaha appeared for the petitioners. The notice is returnable on September 18.