News
People’s power prevails over encroachment on public land
Following the furore by locals in Mundel, against a businessman’s encroachment on public land, the police and the Mundel Divisional Secretary
Mundel residents agitate against the seizure of more than 20 acres of public land in the Mundel Lagoon in Puttalam, which would be detrimental to the environment.
ordered the businessman off the premises till related legal issues were sorted out.
Villagers claim that the businessman from Colombo, had seized more than 20 acres of public land in the Mundel Lagoon, Puttalam, with the intention of setting up a salt factory and was destroying mangroves and other plants, causing harm to the environment, which will be detrimental to residents in the area.
The residents held a protest on Feb.27 on the Puttalam-Colombo Road, which brought Mundel Police OIC A.A.D.M. and Mundel Divisional Secretary Chanaka Premasiri to the
Police advise businessman in a cap on Mundel land issue
disputed land where bulldozers were at work.
Though the businessman, who was present at the time, claimed to possess title deeds, he failed to produce any, and one of the letters he produced, supposedly given him by a fisherman’s organisation, was declared a fake by the fishermen.
OIC Sandasiri directed the fishermen to lodge a complaint about the bogus letter.
Meanwhile, the Divisional Secretary Chanaka Premasiri told the businessman that no construction work or any other activity conducted till officially informed otherwise.
 Residents protest against the encroachment of public land by a businessman |  Halted construction work :Locals in Mundel, stalled encroachment of public land, till related legal issues are resolved. |