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Defence & Urban Dev. Min. changing Colombo’s demography charges Mangala
View(s):UNP Matara District MP Mangala Samaraweera said that there is an insidious attempt by the Defence and Urban Development Ministry to change the demography of the City of Colombo, to break up the UNP vote base, so that the Govt. can win the next Municipal Council election.
Speaking during the committee stage debate of the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development, Mr Samaraweera said that prime property in the heart of Colombo is being acquired by various shell companies held by family members of this regime.
“As in the North of this country, they are also now making sinister moves to change the demography of the City of Colombo. The Krrish scandal involving millions of dollars in bribes, also involves some members of a family,” the MP said.
Mr Samaraweera said that the eviction of people in the Slave Island area is a glaring example.
The MP also referred to the Carlton Group of Companies which he said was taking over many of the lands. “ remember the humble beginnings of the Carlton Nursery– a little thatched hut in the middle of Tangalle. But, today, this Carlton Network is spreading its tentacles all over Sri Lanka, acquiring some of the best lands for this Carlton Company. The Railway land at Dematagoda has now been earmarked to be given to this Company. Innocent families have been forcibly uprooted from their ancestral lands, because of the limitless greed of one clan to divide prime property in the heart of Colombo among themselves,” he said.
Mr Samarweera said that this is not only cheating, this is not only deceiving our own people, but is also a clear violation of the United Nations’ principles and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights