News
Man claiming to be Govt. supporter allegedly grabs playground, turns it into paddy field
View(s):By Thisara Samal
A man claiming to be a government supporter has allegedly grabbed a playground in the Parasangaswewa village in Anuradhapura’s Nuwaragam divisional secretariat area and turned it into a paddy field, denying the people a place for recreation, villagers complain.
Area residents told the Sunday Times the person had fenced off the playground where they played cricket and volleyball for the past six years and started ploughing it, disregarding their complaints to the authorities.
This was once their playground, say villagers
Prasanna Kumara Dissanayake said, “With the change of government, the person came to the playground and claimed ownership of it. The playground was well maintained by us; we even had cricket tournaments on this playground. Now we are left without a place to play,” he lamented.
Sanduni Kumari
Mr. Dissanayake said a majority of the village youths and their families voted for the National People’s Power at the September 21 presidential election, and therefore, the playground grab was a shock and disappointment for them.
He said that the playground was on state land, previously occupied by a government school. He said the youth set up a volleyball court within the playground, but today it is part of a paddy field.
Another resident said they complained to the area’s NPP candidates, but little or no action has been taken so far to sort out the dispute.
Prasanna Kumara Dissanayake
People claimed the divisional secretary had confirmed that the land was state land and pledged to return it to them so that they could make it a playground.
Another area resident, Sanduni Kumari, said that despite complaints to the divisional secretary and the district secretary, they had not still got their playground back.
Nuwaragam’s Acting Divisional Secretary, Ruwan Ekanayaka, said that since the playground had been illegally acquired, the secretariat would take legal action against the alleged intruder.
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