‘Rajapaksa regime sold many state lands to foreign companies’ | Page 2 | Daily News

‘Rajapaksa regime sold many state lands to foreign companies’

Gampaha District MP Kavinda Jayawardana said 18,370 acres of land were sold to various foreign companies by the Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government, but the Joint Opposition (JO) led by Rajapaksa makes a huge cry that this unity government is going to sold state lands to foreign companies.

“Not a single perch of land was sold by the government. It never sells any state lands to foreign companies.

But the JO makes baseless allegations that the government is going to sell state lands to foreign companies,” Jayawardena said.

He was addressing the media at Sirikotha yesterday.

“It was revealed that 18,370 acres of state lands were sold to many foreign companies during the Rajapkasa regime. Of that, 18,370 acres; 1,500 in Ulhitiya, and 1,200 in Pelawatte were sold to foreign companies during the Rajapaksa regime.

“In Monaragala, 5,000 acres were sold to an American company. Another 5,000 in Somawathiya was sold to the same. A Singaporean company purchased 20 acres at Galle Face for a hotel project and another 50 in Hambantota were sold to the same for a hotel project. In Hambantota, 500 acres were sold to the Hambantota Port City Project and 5,000 to the Hambantota harbour project,” he said.

He said these lands were not rented out or leased out for 99-year or 33-year lease period but sold outright to foreign companies during that time.

“When the government was taking measures to restructure the Hambantota harbour a few months ago, the JO made allegations that the government is going to sell the harbour.

The government is duty-bound to convert the Hambantota port into a profit -making venture as it has become a huge burden to the country’s economy,” he said.

He questioned JO members why they kept silence when the Rajapaksa regime sold lands to foreign companies.

“The JO members are misleading people for petty political gains.

But the general public have clearly understood JO’s “Dawal Migel Re Daniel” role, he said. 


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