Rajapaksas violate laws and sell Muthurajawela

Tuesday, 18 February 2014 

The Mahinda Rajapaksa government has taken steps to hand over 150 acres of land from the Muthurajaweal sanctuary to a private company in violation of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.

The private company is to construct two cities with luxury facilities.

The picturesque Muthurajawela was declared as a wetland and sanctuary on October 31,1996 under the Gazette notification No. 947/13.

The entire protected area in Muthurajawela consists of 1,029 hectares.

The request to release the lands in Muthurajawela to the private company was sent to the Department of Wildlife by the Board of Investments (BoI), which is under the purview of Basil Rajapaksa’s Economic Development Ministry.

Executive Director (Investment Promotion & Mega Projects) of the BOI, Shivan de Silva has made a request on December 5, 2013 by letter No. GB/4/1718/2 from Director General of Department of Wildlife to release the lands for the city development projects to be carried out at a cost of US$800 million.

Reports state that an Express Rail Link and luxury housing schemes, hotels, shops medical centres and a golf link are to be constructed under the Bopitiya Super City Project.

Environmentalists have said that there are 449 species of wildlife belonging to the wetland in Muthurajawela and according to them the National
Environmental Act states any development carried out within 100 meters of the wetland should receive special permission.

However, such permission has not been sought for this mega project.

PRINCIPAL ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY SHAMING GIRL WHO LATER COMMITTED SUICIDE

February 18, 2014 

The Principal of John Kotalawala school in Kurunegala was arrested for allegedly shaming a girl over a facebook photo which later led to her suicide.

A 16-year-old schoolgirl of the Kurunegala area committed suicide over a photograph that was published of her on facebook.

The principal of the her school in Kurunegala summoned her and her parents over a photograph that was published of her on the popular social networking site with regards to a love affair that she was maintaining.

The girl who had not informed her family about the relationship had hanged herself later on at her home using a sari.