FOREIGNERS OWN 900 HOUSES WITHIN GALLE FORT : GOVT.
As many as 900 houses within the Galle Fort had been bought by foreigners, Minister of National Heritage, Professor Jagath Balasuriya said yesterday.
Replying to a private members motion in Parliament yesterday, Professor Balasuriya said that this situation had occurred due to the availability of cheap land inside the Fort which was being sold at prices as low as a million rupees a perch. He said that there were also instances where locals who had purchased houses within the Fort had leased out their homes to foreigners.
He said that the loopholes which could be found in the commercial law had paved the way for such occurrences. Prof. Balasuriya said that the government’s policy was to safeguard the archaeological value of the Fort while concentrating on heritage tourism. He said that the government had spent over Rs 200 million for infrastructure facilities inside the fort and to safeguard the ancient buildings within it.
Independent Member of Par-
The government had spent over Rs 200 million for infrastructure facilities inside the fort and to safeguard the ancient buildings within it
liament Ajith Kumara, who moved the motion, said that the important fact that the government had to remember was that it was more important to safeguard the archaeological value of the Fort than spend extravagant amounts to carpet roads in the country.