Kandy District Leads in Land Encroachment

The Presidential Secretariat and the Defense Ministry have ordered the Kandy District Administration to take immediate action to stop encroachment on state land and illegal construction on such land said the Kandy District Secretary Ghotabhaya Jayaratne addressing a meeting of the Kandy District Coordinating Committee held recently in the Kandy District Secretariat. The Presidential Secretariat, is of the view that illegal encroachment is far more widespread than elsewhere in the island. The Defense Ministry is concerned that illegal construction on road reservations forms a potential security threat.

Mr. Jayaratne also stated that government department and agencies that had custody of such land simply failed to enforce the law and prevent encroachment and illegal construction. He cited the Road Development Authority as one prime example. Encroachment of road reservations is a common practice in every part of the country. Peradeniya University has also lost a considerable amount of land to encroachers and the university has done practically nothing to reclaim the land he noted. Read More>>