Champika calls to political cooperation on Aruwakkalu landfill

Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka 

By Ashwin Hemmathagama 

– Our Lobby Correspondent

Minister of Megapolis and Western Development Patali Champika Ranawaka urged the lawmakers of both sides to let research-led policies resolve the garbage issue.

Joining the Committee Stage Program of Budget 2019, the Minister charged the politicians for misleading the public by spreading false information to gain political mileage.

According to Minister Ranawaka, the proposed solid waste sanitary landfill disposal facility at Aruwakkalu in Puttalam faces resistance similar to Norochcholai in 1996. “Aruwakkalu project is designed for the benefit of all communities, including those in the Puttalam District. Using this facility all Local Government authorities in the District could easily dispose garbage once it is completed,” he said, reminding Parliament that the Meethotamulla garbage dump collapse killed 33 people, and it should not happen again in any part of the country.

“Some religious leaders mobilised people against Norochcholai, claiming that the Thalawila Church will be washed away. They claimed the Sri Maha Bodhi will die. One person was killed in a shooting at a protest in 1997. We had power cuts for 15 years because Norochcholai was not built. We suffered a loss of Rs. 157 billion. Those religious leaders who marched against Norochcholai should accept responsibility for this crisis,” he said.

The Minister, responding to Opposition charges that the Unity Government has failed to initiate new projects other than what was done during the Rajapaksa regime, said: “This country is not the property of a single family, and it belongs to all Sri Lankans. You claim that Rajapaksa has done everything like the Great Brahma. Rajapakse managed to start and complete only four projects during his tenure. These are the Hambantota port, Mattala airport, Sooriyawewa stadium, and the Hambantota conference hall. Other than that, everything else were planed and initiated well before his time.”

According to Minister Ranawaka, the Katunayake Expressway was initiated in 1968, the Southern Expressway was initiated in 1991, and the Beliatta railway line was initiated in 1994.

“During the five-year period Gotabaya Rajapaksa was leading it, the UDA only spent Rs.28 billion. But during the last three years, we have spent Rs.64 billion on project work. We haven’t used force on anybody, but followed the legal provisions. He used 7,000 military people who used to be in the service of the Urban Development Authority,” he added.