People were made to reside in a legal way -- Wilpattu forest was not cut after 2012: Badurdeen in parliament

People were made to reside in a legal way -- Wilpattu forest was not cut after 2012: Badurdeen in parliament 

That minister Rishad Badurdeen cleared Wilpattu Reserve Zone and that Muslims were made to reside and that as a result the country is being subjected to destruction a number of environmental issues have cropped up because of the excessive heat in recent times were matters that circulated around the social media for quite some time. In the process, after Nagananda Kodituwakku brought these points before courts, towards the end of the week, talks about this began to heighten. However, as as minister of environment President Maithripala Sirisena and other several authorities kept mum
about this, it was seen that nobody took responsibility over this matter. 

In the process, a question was aimed at Commercial Affairs minister, Rishad Badurdeen by leader of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, Anura Kumara Dissanayaka yesterday (22) in parliament whether lands were given from attendant forest zone of Wilpattu. In this instance minister Badurdeen provided a lengthy reply and a dialogue in this connection ensued close upon a period of twenty five minutes in parliament. 

What minister Badurdeen said was that much of what is published in this respect are those published without knowing the proper facts. He said that there was a large number of people including himself who were displaced as a result of the war period and that he who canvassed for votes by being in a camp in Puttalam and that he was appointed by his people in order to get a solution to their problems and that he was given a post of minister during the Mahinda regime for purposes of resettlement. He also stated that under instructions of the then minister Basil Rajapaksa a resettlement project was launched as an immediate solution to those displaced and that lands that had to be acquired were categorised by GPS technology and allotted legally. 

He further mentioned that for this purpose lands were acquired and thereby two thousand odd acres of forests were cleared on state orders with the relevant provincial secretary taking lead and that it was not a requirement of his people. He added that at that time he was not the minister of resettlement and that it was minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa who placed his signature for this order. He also said that in this manner, resettlement activities were launched at various locations all over the island and that forest clearings so carried out do not come under the Wilpattu Reserve as such. He further mentioned that Wilpattu was situated within Anuradhapura and Puttalam district and that his people settled in a land located in the district of Mannar. He then added that lands were given to these people legally in the year 2012 and because the adjoining zone was gazetted in 2012, nobody has the lawful right to engage in clearing. He went on saying that not even an inch was given during the past 7 years and that forests are being cleared is an utter lie. He said that unjustified accusations are aimed at him recently that the Wilpattu forest is being cleared by him after the statement that he made that Arukkalu garbage yard should be looked into and that if at all he has indulged in such destruction, to give him any punishment in that context. He subsequently said that those who are targeting false accusations on him are actually are not speaking about the destruction committed by erecting three hotels within Wilpattu.   

In the meantime what MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage informed was that what he saw from a Derana TV programme was that Mollikulam forest is being cleared and that an industrial zone is being established, as he has thus come to know. In response, minister Badurdeen said that what is in progress at present is the processing of a study report in that connection and the report concerned has still not been approved and that nobody has attempted to clear a forest as such. 

While minister Badurdeen was talking about Wilpattu, it was Mahindananda, Anura Priyadarshana and Mahinda Amaraweera of the opposition who spoke. Government whip, Mr. Kiriella and minister John Amaratunga expressed brief ideas. What they only said was the permission given in this context was not done by this regime. The full video in this connection, from below