Ministerial Spouse A Land Thief
- United We Stand
By Nirmala Kannangara
Approval given by Minister Dissanayake, Approval given by Minister Gunawardena and The letter sent to Ministry Secretary for cabinet approval
Startling revelations have surfaced that new Transport Deputy Minister Rohana Dissanayake has misled the Urban Development Authority (UDA) in order to obtain 15 perches of UDA land for his wife in Battaramulla on a 30-year lease, while serving as the Non Cabinet Minister for Urban Development.
L.R. M. Abeysinghe, wife of Rohana Dissanayake, in a letter dated May 2, 2009 to the former Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Dinesh Gunawardena requested for the land in Colombo stating that she is a mother of two who does not have means even to live in a rented house due to financial difficulties.
In her letter to Minister Gunawardena, Mrs. Dissanayake stated that she was from Ipalogama, Anuradhapura living in Colombo with her family amidst much hardship. “My husband, the two children and I are leading a hard life with financial difficulties in a rented out house close to Colombo. Since we do not have a proper place to live in, and have found it extremely difficult even to pay the house rent with a meager salary, I humbly request you to consider my plight and allocate a 15 perch UDA land on a long-term lease to me,” she stated.
Mrs. Dissanayake, writing under her maiden name Abeysinghe, has sent a copy of the letter to her husband – the Non Cabinet Minister for his consideration. Interestingly, within a couple of weeks Minister Dissanayake ordered the UDA Chairman to take immediate action to proceed with the matter.
“This is completely against the UDA Act. The UDA cannot consider any personal request unless it is for a BOI project, town development or any other government project that would benefit the community. Even if a proposal were made for a project, it would take a minimum of six to seven months for the final approval, but in this instance it took only a few months for the final approval,” a reliable UDA source told The Sunday Leader.
According to the source, the Non-Cabinet Minister took the initiative to instruct the UDA Chairman to take the relevant action before the Cabinet Minister’s order.
“Minister Dissanayake instructed the UDA Chairman to take the necessary steps to initiate the matter on June 30, 2009 followed by Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on July 2, 2009,” he said.
Meanwhile, Director General – UDA, Prasanna Silva in a letter dated November 11, 2009 has requested the Secretary, Urban Development Ministry to obtain Cabinet approval for the aforesaid land at the earliest.
The letter states, “The Board of Management of the UDA that met on July 14, 2009 has granted approval to allocate a block of land at Pannipitiya Road, Battaramulla in extent of 15 perches to Mrs. L. R. M. Abeysinghe on 30-year lease basis on an annual rental to be determined by the Chief Valuer, subject to review every five years only for her residential purpose subject to the approval of the Cabinet and the UD Minister under Section 18 (1) of the UDA law.
“Copies of the Board Paper and the board decision, the request of L.R.M. Abeysinghe and the draft Cabinet Memorandum are forwarded herewith.
“As per the above approval of the Board of Management, a separate plan is being prepared for the above land at Pannipitiya Rd, Battaramulla and once the above survey plan is received by the UDA, the certificates prepared under Section 18 (1) of the UDA Law be forwarded to obtain the Minister’s approval.
I shall therefore be thankful if you could kindly obtain the Cabinet Approval for the above land allocation and inform same to this Authority, please.”
A complaint has now been lodged by D.B. Elkaduwa, a resident from Matale, with the Bribery Commission on February 16, 2010 against the Minister and his wife for misleading the UDA.
Elkaduwa told The Sunday Leader that this was not the first time Minister Dissanayake has misled the government, and added that he was in possession of documents pertaining to all his illegal deals.
“This particular L. R. M. Abeysinghe is none other than Rohana Dissanayake’s wife, and the address given was her mother’s address although she lives at 147, MC Road, Matale with the Deputy Minister,” Elkaduwa alleged.
According to Elkaduwa, Mrs. Dissanayake nee Abeysinghe owns a three storeyed luxury house in Matale to the value of more than Rs. 50 million, and the adjoining conference hall and office is valued at over Rs. 30 million.
Although Abeysinghe has claimed that she is facing financial difficulties Elkaduwa claims that she draws two salaries from the government – as an Assistant English teacher at the Wijaya Vidyalaya Matale and as Coordinating Secretary to her husband.
“In addition, the wealth Abeysinghe and Dissanayake have acquired over the years is too vast to be mentioned. Their total wealth exceeds Rs. 500 million while Abeysinghe has rented out her Intercooler jeep to Noritake Lanka Porcelain for Rs.60,000 per month,” Elkaduwa claimed.
All attempts made by The Sunday Leader to contact Minister Rohana Dissanayake for his comments failed.
These are the vultures who plunder the nation. Unfortunately as we have seen over and over again these ministerial thieves are never punished by law as there is no law against them.
No wonder they spend multi millions to come in to power because the fraudulent riches they gain multiplies hundred fold while poor voters remain hungry!
We have heard these sort of stories of plundering for many decades but has a single Minister or a MP has been found guilty?
When the govt. appoints underworld kingpins, thugs, gangsters as ministers the service to the nation remains only a ‘self service’.
Sandly our political leadership is simply IMPOTENT to take action on such culprits and in the long term these are put under the carpet and forgotten about.
These sort of corruption AT THE TOP is one of the calamities of Lanka.
MR PRESIDENT, IF YOU ARE CLEAN PLEASE ERADICATE THIS MESS. THIS IS YOUR PRIME RESPONSIBILITY TO LANKA !!!
AND SHOW THAT YOU ARE A PROPER LEADER !!
Hohorable president please note.you promised to eradicate corruption ,we had faith in you that is why we voted for you.please keep tp your promise and get rid of these thieves,then the people will believe in you.
are you crazy. he is the most corrupted
Dear president
People have already shown the gratitude that you asked for. It’s your pay back time.
Otherwise, you will get rewarded by the people very soon. Lots of our people have sold their old bulls.
We all are following your moves!!.
It is up to MR to take these matters with the Politicians when they are highlighted in the press and strip them of the positions given. Will that happen???
MR himself will need to strip himself off his position, for all the corruption!
Thank you LK!! I fully agree with you. MR and his extended family and friends need to be investigated!!!!
LK please be specific about MR’s alleged corruption, it will help us to understand extent of real problem.
This story is quite unbeleivable. Does the UDA dispense of 15 P of valuable state land without a thorough inquiry into the circumstances or reccomendation from a VIP? I think not. Obviously the person was important enough for UDA to submit a board paper.
These type of bogus deals is usual in all ministries, nothing new nobody ever punished, stupid ignorant massaes to be blamed , this episode got highlited because of an enemy Mr Elkaduwa from Matale who had the guts & recources to complain to the Impotent Bribery Commission which is joke in this country as complaints never materialise.
Its not only the government politicians who are to blame, all politicians are to be blamed. All of them get together and plunder the country, from the Parliament Canteen food prices to their Duty free super luxury vehicles. We do not hear any opposition member or any politician utter a single word about these super privileges that the normal people cannot even dream about. We have the government demolishing houses of people, even last week in Slave Island without a proper plan to relocate them. These poor people are stranded without a roof over their heads. Gota is head of the UDA now and no one is willing to lift even their little finger to protest about this. No lawyers are willing to accept their cause, in a situation like this, we have ministers grabbing government land for peanuts. What a country, what a people we are. Really pathetic. But mother nature will not allow these crooks to prosper for ever. Every single human being has to answer to his or her actions. And answer THEY WILL , every single slimy blood sucking bugs that they are.
These are the events the Presidents office should look in to on an expedited basis and the concerned parties properly penalized. If this Minister in fact has been involved with such a scam, he should be removed from Ministerial portfolio and also as a MP. According to the constitution the government can get the party secretary to remove him from being a MP without any problem.
Your Exellency,
This is where you should exercise the peoples mandate given to you.
During my stay in Sri Lanka I read with much interest about an article written against
Mr Janaka Bandara Tennakoon and his son in this news paper. The story clearly indicated that both
Father and son involved in breaking a budhist statue in Elamalpotha. The story was totally wrong and at the scene of the incident they both were not there. Now many stories about Rohana dissanayaka who is also from Matale. I am not here to defend either of them.
But there was a person during last elections spent millions. He was deadly against these two during the elections. He is a new comer and got the most preferential votes in the last election.
Is he behind all these things? Matale man thinks……………….
I don’t like to compare our country with another, but need to mention that in UK or USA if a Minister or Senator is found to have an illicit relationship with a woman/man, they are exposed and tender their resignation. Let alone looting the wealth. Even a President of USA had to resign over watergate episode. But in Sri Lanka it is day light robbery. All the parities are same one beats the other while in power.
Our beloved President is not a womaniser or is he?
We have to check all transaction on land by UDA in the last 16 years. From President to deputy ministers may have taken the advantage from UDA breaking the law of the country. Suba Anagathayak for them.
oka Matale dritrikkayata ta horakam ugsnnapu horek
Mr President can start with his “Mahainda Chintanaya Idiri dekma”from one of his deputy minister in Matale by probing into allegations and if found guilty giving maximum punishment if he really in terested in puting an end to corruption.
Oh….What a family…. That is minister. Mr.H.E.President are you trying to make miracle Lanka….O..K..
This story would be absurdity true, all Matale residents of the town knows this meters about these thief only the rural forks elected these people.
Earlier the UNP thieves now new thieves future another kind of thieves will evolve from Matale. Matale is the city to produce Hockey players and political thieves.
Matale never developed the town is in the same state as it was in the 40s. But the politician’s houses and building are like palaces, how come they earn so much of money and from where.
The madam from Vijay college really a gutty lady but she should be take care of her family and herself, these people are dangoures. once Alick Aluvihare killed innocent Mayor mt. Hussin’s son just for a minor meetter, like wise he shot the present mayor but he escaped, so do Matale politics.
Matale is in doldrums will Mr. MR do something for our town or will he neglect as if its not his matter. We have to wait and see.
MR is in the know of everything, when any minister or any politician do any of these dirty work it is entered in a file kept by MR, its a hold on that perticular person, if he goes against Mr, he is reminded of this file & a warning will go, if he or she dont tow the line with MR the file will be given to the Bribery Commissioner for action. Any MP or Minister is allowed to do anything he wishes, no questions asked as long as he is good with MR.
It is no good to pay lip service to ending corruption, as it had always been. Time is ripe for the Hon. president to take action ,now and lead the way to ending corruption, starting with his own Ministers.There being ample evidence to prove the allegations, it would tantamount to condoning same,if this guy is let off to have his own way, and hoodwink everyone. Let us see a start to to this episode, right now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwS4owQFEqc&NR=1
How many more crooks like Rohana Dissanayake do we have as Ministers? Mr. President Rajapakse, what have you got to say about this?
Shame on minster Rohan.. you are real crook.. Mr. President is this the SUBA ANAGATHAYAK ???