News

News

Golf project putts peasants to hole
By Sachitra Indivara Mahendra
Residents of Talangama yesterday staged a picket against what they described as illegal grab of state land by a private company. The land is being developed to set up a golf course, as the approval letters reveal. But the protesting residents said they were of the belief that the land was being handed over to the Urban Council to set up a playground.

Mahinda Perera, a resident said they had used the land for cultivation and to allow their cattle to graze. He expressed fears that there would be floods in the area because the land was being filled haphazardly. But a company spokesman said the project would add colour to the town -- a claim scoffed at by the residents.

"The project has deprived us of our livelihood," he said. Mr. Perera added that the change of government had not done any good for them and they felt all politicians were backing the company. "Even JVP seems to be avoiding this case, saying it is not responsible for this," he said.

Tracing the roots of the problem to the J. R. Jayewardene regime, the residents said the land which they had used for cultivation for decades was taken over by the government in 1986 on a pledge that adequate compensation would be paid to the peasants. But no compensation was made.

They said the PA government of 1994 sent them a letter, saying\ Rs. 305 would be paid per each perch. But they refused to agree to this meagre amount. After several appeals, the Treasury agreed to pay them on the basis of Rs. 610 per perch, but the peasants felt that this amount too was inadequate and refused to accept it.

During the previous PA regime, Minister Mangala Samaraweera got cabinet approval for the transfer of the land on a 99-year lease to businessman Sunimal Perera. The businessman is reported to have sold the land after dividing it into 101 blocks at a rate of Rs. 600,000 per perch, the residents said.

They alleged that during the UNF regime, a top politico representing the area wanted to bring the racket to light, but was silenced after he allegedly received 12 blocks of the land.

Top

Back to News