Sunday, July 31, 2011

Luxury house in reservation; owner penalized

By K G Karunaratne
An unauthorized building in the Patapilikanda Forest Reserve, in Minneriya was acquired by the Forest Conservation Department on a court order. The forest conservator general had filed action against the owner of the luxury house, Ranjani Pathirana (said to be a sister of  a deputy minister) in the Hingurakgoda Magistrate’s Court for constructing an unauthorized building in a forest reserve.
The Hingurakgoda Magistrate, E A K D  Epitawela also made an order to vest the building with the Forest Conservation Department under the Land Acquisition Act, the respondent having failed to produce sufficient proof of her ownership to the land.
The Hingurakgoda magistrate who held that the temporary permit produced by her was not admissible as a grant of land permitting her to construct a permanent building,  ordered the respondent to hand over the possession of the land and property to the forest conservator general.
 The building was taken over by Range Forest Officer, ( Habarana) R M K R Illukkumbura, Additional Range Forest Officer, Sarath Weerasena, Beat Forest Officers, W M Wijesekera, and Piyal Wanigasekera  in the presence of the court registrar, fiscal officers and the police.

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