State Minister insists he will proceed with controversial development project near Negombo lagoon
State Minister of Fisheries and Inland Fisheries Industry Sanath Nishantha Perera brushed aside criticism from his own Government colleagues and insisted that he planned to go ahead with the controversial development project surrounding the Negombo lagoon.
A video of Mr Perera taking part in a heated discussion with a group of fishermen and a Forest Department Officer went viral this week. The video prompted criticism of the State Minister, who was seen by some as siding with the fishermen in an attempt to pressure the Forest Officer to allow for the construction of a playground located on Forest Department land that has a high density of mangroves. Even some
Ministers of the Government subsequently said they stood by the Forest Officer.
The state minister though, struck a defiant note when he spoke to the Sunday Times, adding that those in the Government who criticised him did not understand the problem.
He said a Rs one billion project to develop the Negombo lagoon area was currently blocked on account of this particular dispute. “The project was initiated under then President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2014, but only Rs 300 million of the Rs one billion had been spent since then. This is because of issues among Government officials,” he claimed.
Mr Nishantha said the fishermen were demanding that the sand dredged from the lagoon that had been dumped on the playground be kept there while the Forest Officer was opposed to the playground as it was on Forest Department land.
“I am prepared to compromise. If the villagers want a playground, we can build one for them nearby. But she must also be flexible. If she continues to stand in the way of this project and not sign off on it, we will find someone who will,” he added.
Meanwhile, Devanee Jayathilaka, who is the District Forest Officer for Gampaha, said that she was continuing with her duties as normal subsequent to all the attention she received after the video went viral. She added that she had not received any threats since the video went public.
She said fisheries authorities had only been given permission to deepen the lagoon. “They had no permission to dump sand on our land,” she stressed, adding that a court case is pending on the matter.