Panadura, Bandaragama police officers criticised for neglecting duties

Kapila Somarathna Panadura group correspondent

Panadura: The conduct of the police officers of Panadura and Bandaragama police stations came under heavy criticism from councillors of the People's Alliance at the monthly meeting of the Bandaragama Pradeshiya Sabha presided over by Chairman Lalith Ellawala recently.

Opening the debate the Chairman Lalith Ellawala said the policemen are not performing duties and the public have to face immense difficulties since recently. There was a incident at Rukgahatotupala area at the reservation of the Bolgoda Lake.

The racketeers engage in unauthorised filling the reservation of the Bolgoda lake. The Secretary of the Bandaragama Divisional secretariat complained to the chairman about this matter. The chairman had informed the Panadura police who came and seized a machine used to fill the reservation unauthorised. The machine and the suspects were released by the police without producing before Court.

He said he met the officials of the Environmental Authority who informed him that the police have powers to retain the machines used in unauthorised filling of paddy lands or reservations of rivers and produce the items before Court.

In additions the environmental authority had issued a Circular No 11/SS/94 regarding the subject matter of unauthorised filling of crown lands and paddy fields. The duty of the police is to act according to the law. But the panadura police turns a blind eye neglecting the law, the chairman said. This was a very serious breach of the law by the Panadura police.

Councillor P. Lawrance said the council should bring the misconduct of Panadura police and unauthorised filling of paddy lands and the reservation of the Bolgoda river, to the notice of the Inspector General of Police Chandra Fernando.

The councillor tabled a resolution to this effect and Darshana Peris UNP councillor seconded it. He said the UNP councillors would support the chairman at any event when he performs his duties lawfully. Chairman Ellawala said the Bandaragama police also not active. He said today a young girl cannot walk in the Bandaragama town wearing a gold chain. Robbers threaten young girls and robbed their gold Jewellery but the police maintain silence.

He directed the Bandaragama Pradeshiya Sabha to fill a polluted drain running across the public cemetery which belongs to the Bandaragama Pradeshiya Sabha. A police party from Bandaragama rushed to the public cemetery and ordered not to fill the drain cut by a factory owner, running a factory close by. The chairman said the Bandaragama police have no right to interfere with the administrative activities of the Bandaragama Pradeshiya Sabha.

He said the Bandaragama area had become a centre for distributing and manufacturing kassippu. The Bandaragama police turn blind eye on kasippu mudalalis and distributers. The Bribery dept recently arrested one constable accepting bribes from kasippu mudalalis.

The chairman said the Muslims in Atalugama area wanted a beaf stall. A committee should be appointed to look in to the matter and submit a report. S.D. Ganegoda JVP councillor said the Bandaragama police is acting according to the instructions of factory owners and kasippu mudalalis in the area.

The Bandaragama police had no right to interfere with the administrative work of the Bandaragama Pradeshiya Sabha.

The police should combat the crime activities and illicit liquor manufacturing and distribution in the Bandaragama police area. Navin Hajjiar, People's Alliance said there are about 15,000 Muslims living in the Bandaragama Atalugama area. As there was no meat stall, illicit slaughtering of cattle is rampant.

The council must open a beefstall at Atalugama, he said.