Rs. 2 b compensation given to Mawanella residents

The Government has paid Rs. 2 billion compensation to families in Mawanella who lost their livelihoods due to development projects in the area.

Highways and Road Development Minister Kabir Hashim has secured the compensation after he went on an inspection tour of the city trade centre and the bus terminus in Mawanella, which are being modernised, the Ministry said in a statement yesterday.  The Minister further said that compensations were not paid by the previous Government to the people who lived by the sides of the roads which were reconstructed.

“Sadly, compensation was not paid by the previous Government to the evicted people living along the road sides when the roads were constructed. During the last Government, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was the Minister of Highways, and the policy of that Government was forcibly evacuating lands and houses after evicting the poor destitute residents when constructing roads. Mind you the victims who were rendered homeless were not even paid compensation,” the Ministry statement said, quoting Minister Hashim. The Government has to still pay a further Rs. 5000 million to the victims. Focusing on the proposed bus terminus which will have four stories, the Minister assured the Southern Province Governor the Government has set aside Rs. 25 million towards that project.