By Frederica Jansz While the People's Alliance has been espousing righteous rhetoric particularly with regard to land alienation we have found that none other than the son of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Vimukthi has used his position to have allocated to himself two acres of land at Mirissa in  Weligama in the Matara District. In fact, despite the President and the new SLFP-JVP alliance claiming the UNP ran the economy to the ground and promoted robber barons to invest in the country, no lesser person than Kumaratunga's son Vimukthi was taking advantage of the improved economic climate in

President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Vimukthi Kumaratunga

the country to do a bit of investing by promoting a hotel project and soliciting land from the UNF government.

Writing to the Land Commissioner in August last year, Vimukthi Kumaratunga has had the temerity to use the address of President's House in the letter requesting for two acres to be allocated to him with beach frontage for a holiday resort.

Using the official equipment at President's House young Vimukthi has been doing a bit of business living no doubt to the mother's boast that, "politics is the family business."

And it is hard to believe, the President did not know about the land transaction.

The land, the President's son has set his eye on is crown land at Mirissa - Pem Uyana Estate in the Matara District.

In the letter written by Vimukthi Kumaratunga to the Land Commissioner on August 8, last year, Kumaratunga has stated that he has identified a land suitable for a holiday resort in the Matara District.  He states he would be "most grateful" if two acres of land is granted to him on a long term basis for a holiday resort.

The full extent of the land in question at Pem Uyana Estate is about 30 acres and partly occupied since 1992 by the allotees under the village expansion scheme.  Kumaratunga maintains in his letter that an area of about five acres is still vacant on the allotted land, unoccupied by anyone at present and that he would like to be granted two acres for a holiday resort as a BOI project.

No project report

The allocation was approved by Lands Minister, Dr. Rajitha Senaratne on September 23, 2003.

The allocation by the Lands Minister was made despite Kumaratunga failing to submit as required a project and financial report, which is a necessity when such applications are made for state owned land.

"Because it was the President's son I approved the request despite there being no project or financial report." Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said.

The Minister added that Kumaratunga has not made any payment yet for the land but will be informed in due course, after the government valuer gives a market price for the area.

Requesting beach frontage, Vimukthi Kumaratunga has specifically identified that an extent of two acres to be allotted to him from block 'A' depicted in the preliminary plan No. MR 1171 dated April 8, 2001 of the Land Commissioner's Department.

Block 'A' according to the preliminary plan of the Land Commissioner's Department has been separated for environmental and other purposes.  The plan states specifically that no human habitation must be allowed or buildings erected as it will interfere with the sea area as well as wind direction.

On September 3, 2003,  Secretary to the Divisional Secretariat-Weligama,  C. Mudalige wrote to the Chairman, Board of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka, Arjunna Mahendran requesting clarification if the BOI had received a project proposal from Vimukthi Kumaratunga for a holiday resort at Mirissa and if approval had been granted.

The BOI referred Mudalige's letter to its regional office in Galle which in turn requested Mudalige for a reference number since they could not trace any record of an application or proposal made by Vimukthi Kumaratunga.

The matter as far as the BOI was concerned ended there, as Mudalige was unable to respond with a reference number to a BOI related application by Kumaratunga.

BOI Chief, Mahendran told The Sunday Leader the BOI has not received any application from the President's son for a holiday resort at Mirissa.

Foreign investors

"There maybe some foreign investors having silent partners that we are not aware of," Mahendran said, surmising that perhaps the President's son is acting as a front for a group  of  British investors.

"As far as Vimukthi Kumaratunga is concerned the BOI has received absolutely no investment proposal," he said.

The BOI has however received a proposal from four British nationals to invest Rs. 2.5 million in a cabana style resort at Mirissa. This proposal does not indicate the land to be at Pem Uyana Estate and Vimukthi Kumaratunga's name does not figure in the project proposal to the BOI.

But it is not only the President's son Vimukthi who has been allocated crown land without even having submitted a project proposal or financial status report or made any down payment towards the land, or in short proven his qualifications for such an allotment.

We have also found that the former  People's Alliance government has allocated crown land to party heavyweights.

A total of 227 acres of land in the Kandy District has been handed over to the former Agriculture and Lands Minister D. M. Jayaratne by President Chandrika Kumaratunga in 2001. 

The land situated within Ambuluwawa Estate in the Kandy District, in 2001 was approved by the previous cabinet of ministers to be handed over to a trust fund, which is headed by Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Jayaratne.

The Ambuluwawa Environment Development and Conservation Trust Fund was incorporated in September 2000, with the settler being D. M. Jayaratne, who at the time was Agriculture and Lands Minister.

Jayaratne specifically created and established this trust he claimed for the purpose of development and preservation of the environment and bio-diversity of the Ambuluwawa project area.

In order to establish the trust a sum of Rs. 100,000 was deposited with the Public Trustee who serves as the custodian of this trust.

The objectives of the trust were to develop Ambuluwawa Hill as an attractive place for field education of bio-diversity and environment; to develop Ambuluwawa as a place where opportunities are provided for conservation, conservation education, recreation, religious and exploration purposes; to further improve the standard of living of surrounding villages by the development of handicraft industries, agriculture and other service sector industries; to create income generating opportunities to Gampola and its neighbouring divisional secretariats; and to develop a middle class housing scheme for the middle class population in the Gampola area as well as to rehabilitate and develop religious aspects that exist at the summit of Ambuluwawa.

Objectives ignored

None of the above has taken place other than an environment for the education of bio-diversity created while the Agriculture Department remained on the board of the trust.  After the department pulled out last year there has been little or no progress in any of the objectives of the trust.

The Ambuluwawa Environment Development and Conservation Trust Fund was established with the approval of President Chandrika Kumaratunga on September 1, 2000.  The total extent of land that was earmarked for development at Ambuluwawa was 463 acres.

During a Presidential visit to Ambuluwawa Hill on June 1, 2001, Kumaratunga had directed that 236 acres under forest cover be released to the Wildlife Department  for wildlife conservation work and for development as a tourist attraction.

The balance 227 acres Kumaratunga directed be vested in the Ambuluwawa trust fund, which is headed by D. M. Jayaratne.

At the time, in his capacity as  agriculture and lands  minister, Jayaratne presented a cabinet memorandum on July 3, 2001 seeking approval for the allocation of this land.  The cabinet duly granted approval and 236 acres were demarcated to the Wildlife Department while the balance 227 acres were given to Jayaratne.

Vimukthi's letter to Land Commissioner

Mr. Vimukthi Kumaratunga

Janadhipathi Mandiriya  

Janadhipathi Mawatha

Colombo 01

8th August 2003

Land Commissioner

Land Commissioner's Department

07, Gregory's Avenue

Colombo 7

Dear Sir,

Application for a block of land (02 Acres) for a BOI project

Pem Uyana Estate - Mirissa

I have identified a land suitable for a holiday resort in the Matara District in the Southern Province. The land is situated at Mirissa within the Divisional Secretariat of Weligama.

I am informed that this land which is about 30 acres is partly occupied by the allottees under the Village Expansion Scheme, since 1992.  An area of about 05 acres is still vacant on the allotted land, unoccupied by anyone at present.

I shall be most grateful if an extent of 02 Acres of land, from the above said property is granted to me on a long term basis for a holiday resort as a BOI Project.  I will be submitting my project proposals to the BOI under the normal scheme available to investors, as soon as I receive your responses for approval of the grant of 02 acres of land.  I undertake to abide by any direction given by you and the District Secretary, Matara, for the said grant.  All necessary payments for the purpose of survey and blocking up of the land for this purpose can be deposited with the District Secretary, Matara, immediately, if so required.

As I need a beach frontage for my project, I wish that the extent of 02 acres be allotted to me from Block A, depicted in Preliminary Plan No. MR 1171, dated 08/04/2001, made by Surveyor, J. G. A. Ratnaweera of the Land Commissioner's Department.  A copy of the said Plan is annexed hereto for facility of reference.

Awaiting an early favourable reply,

Yours faithfully

Vimukthi Kumaratunga

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