News
Illegal buildings on state land to go, says UDA
By Damith WickremasekaraView(s):The Urban Development Authority (UDA) is to demolish unauthorized constructions built on State owned land within the Colombo city and its suburbs, a senior official of the Authority told the Sunday Times.He said that some of the buildings constructed on unauthorized land have been in existence for more than 10 years and cover over an acre in extent. At least six such locations have been identified, he said.
“We have given notice to the respective parties more than a month back informing them they were occupying State land and have put up unauthorized constructions,” the official said.
He said that in some of the areas paddy lands have been filled interrupting rain water flow causing floods and inconveniencing people in adjacent areas.On Friday unauthorized constructions put up by a businessman in the Thalawathugoda area were demolished by the UDA.
The buildings were put up on a former paddy field in the Thalawathugoda area. A service station, two timber depots, a welding workshop and a cement block making workshop had been constructed on the land.
More than 60 policemen, the riot squad, a group of soldiers along with 20 tippers and other heavy equipment were deployed for the operation. The constructions were put up by former UNP Western Provincial Council member Nimal R. Peiris.
Ms. Priyadharshani Peiris, wife of the former provincial council member, said intends taking legal action on the issue as the land had been allocated to her family after a court case.
The UDA official said the operation was part of a programme to re-acquire State land which has been taken over illegally and to develop them in a manner suitable for commercial purposes.
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