MORAGAHAKANDA VILLAGERS BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

The people resettled under the Moragahakanda and Kaluganga reservoir project yesterday staged a protest in Laggala town accusing the authorities of ignoring the issues affecting them. They said they had been subject to serious injustice and left in the lurch by the authorities who had promised to provide them with all facilities.

The protesters pointed out that they were facing hardships for want of irrigation facilities for agriculture, drinking water, and compensation for land acquired for the project and land for the families of the second generation. They said they were still depending on the dry ration supplied to them. They accused the authorities of enjoying luxuries costing colossal amounts leaving the resettled people without even the basic amenities.

“The hospital in the new town is facing a shortage of staff and adequate facilities.we sacrificed our traditional home lands to the project only to be left without a fixed abode. We have been living in temporary huts for the last eight years. Still we depend on a skeleton supply of water in bowsers and not irrigation facilities for agriculture from the two reservoirs. Ours is not a protest against the present government since it is the previous government that is responsible for our predicament” They said.

They requested the present government to resolve the issues affecting the people resettled under the Moragahakanda – Kaluganga project.

The protestors displaying placards and banners and shouting slogans obstructed traffic on the Mahiyangana- Dambulla main road at the Kaluganga Bridge. The Police SP for Dambulla Gamini Meegahakumbura who met the protestors requested them to settle the issue through negotiations with the authorities and not to obstruct the road. When the SP promised to take up the issue with the Mahaweli Authorities the protesters allowed the movement of traffic on one lane.