Foreign, local firms get forest land in controversial deals
View(s):Foreign and local companies are to be given state lands for mega agriculture projects with tax concessions in misconceived deals involving forest lands, especially forest reserves, official documents divulged.
The government is planning to hand over thousands of acres of forest land to several local and foreign companies under a new cabinet decision misinterpreting its contents with the connivance of top officials, several environmentalists and local community activists have complained.
According to the circular, any allocation of forest lands for development activities requires the approval of a special review board which has not been followed since the circular is invalidated.
Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal submitted by the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation on January 23, 2023 to resolve problems pertaining to forests coming under the purview of the Forest Conservation Department and Wildlife Conservation Department.
According to the cabinet approval, problems of villagers residing and cultivating land allotments in reserve forests for a long period will be solved subject to stipulated conditions.
Under the first phase of this initiative land allotments in Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mulaithivu Kilinochchi, Mannar, Trincomalee, Ampara, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Monaragala Districts are to be released to present occupants.
The concerned ministry making use of this situation is now releasing forest reserve lands for mega agriculture development projects of foreign and local companies, several leading environmentalists said.
150 acres in Madhu road Jaffna forest which was declared as a forest reserve on October10, 2012 under the gazette notification No 1779/15 had been released for development activities by the ministry by issuing gazette notification No 2344 /16.
In addition 29,000 acres of land in the Mulaithivu forest reserve, 25,000 acres in Wattegama -Kebiliththa forest reserve in the Monaragala District and over 100 acres in the Rajawake forest are to be released by the ministry to private investors.
Thailand-based Sutech Engineering company has invested US$400 million for its subsidiary Sutech Sugar Industries Pvt Ltd to implement green field sugar development project taking over 600 acres forest land for a sugar factory in the Vavuniya District belonging toForest Conservation Department with the approval of the cabinet on June 26, 2023.
This company has been given 7000 acres of forest land in the area for sugar cultivation under the same cabinet approval.
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