‘Probe into alleged illegal alienation of land’

The Forest Conservation Department has initiated a probe into the alleged illegal alienation of 2,000 acres of State forests during 2010 to 2013 to a multi-national company and a local company to cultivate banana and mango.

Forest Conservator General Anura Haturusinghe said State forests in the Wandama, Demaliya, Demodara and Kudaoya areas in the Buttala and Wellawaya divisions in the Moneragala District had been illegally alienated.

He said Divisional Secretaries and several senior officials of the Forest Conservation Department were responsible for the arbitrary alienation of land in this manner.

He said that the Monaragala District Development Committee had granted approval for this land alienation under political pressure. Investigations revealed that in

A spokesman for the Central Environmental Authority said legal action had been initiated against MNC...

another deal, a businessman in Buttala had purchased land from the squatters in State forests and sold it to a multi-national company in the US.

He said that 2,000 acres of land that had been illegally alienated was on the boundary of a wildlife zone and was a main habitat of wild elephants. However, he said, the officials responsible had not obtained the approval of the Wildlife Conservation Department or the forest conservation department.

A spokesman for the Central Environmental Authority said legal action had been initiated against one of the multi-national companies that used a prohibited chemical in Banana cultivation. Forest Conservator General said the estate forests that had been illegally alienated would be reclaimed through legal action.

He also said another multi national company that illegally possessed 500 acres of land was ordered to vacate it immediately.