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Residents seek sympathy – not tee
Talangama golf project raises more questions
By Sachitra Indivara Mahendra
Residents have stepped up pressure on the government to stop a golf course project in what they described as an illegally grabbed land in Talangama. A delegation of the residents this week met Urban Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardena to urge him to stop the project. They told the minister they feared that the project, if it goes ahead, would result in severe flooding in the area.

A resident told The Sunday Times that the golf course was being built in such a manner that the area would get flooded even during a slight shower of rain. About 250 acres of state land was transferred to the private company and property developers with some residents who had been using this land for cultivation and cattle grazing being paid a meagre Rs. 312 per perch compensation.

Those who refused to accept this compensation appealed but they received no response from the UDA or the Treasury, residents said. The land was first acquired during the J. R. Jayewardene regime for public use and later vested in the Urban Development Authority on condition that it be used only for state development projects in accordance with provisions of the Land Acquisition Act. The residents claim that the UDA in 1999, however, decided to lease the land on a 99-year basis to Asia Pacific Golf Courses Ltd., in blatant violation of the Land Acquisition Act.

The Sunday Times learns a UNP politician who assured the people that he would campaign against the project, went back on his promise after he allegedly received blocks of land from the disputed property.

Besides the golf course, the land, which was transferred on a 99-year lease, has also been divided into 20-perch blocks and sold at Rs. 600,000 a perch to individuals. When asked about this, a UDA spokesman told The Sunday Times that the cabinet had approved such transactions.

The Sunday Times learns that the report prepared by the golf project company and presented to the cabinet makes no mention of the sale of the land. However, it spoke about the building of two apartment blocks.

Desperate residents also petitioned the JVP in keeping with the popular belief that it was the only untainted political party. But they received no response. Golf course project manager Rajiv Perera, when contacted said he needed a week's time to comment.

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