The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has raised concerns with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on the recent decision by the Cabinet of Ministers to hand over a large area of forest reserve land which was owned by and under the purview of the Forest Department, to the Divisional Secretaries and the District Secretaries.
In a letter addressed to the President, the JVP said it is the opinion of senior environmentalists that this decision could cause extensive damage to the environment, largely reduce the extent of forest cover and potentially destroy the endemic fauna and flora specific to different regions of the country.
These forest reserves which were originally under the purview of the Forest Department could be used for different large scale enterprises by wealthy entrepreneurs and companies if handed over to the above mentioned divisional and District secretaries. This could also cause disruption to the daily lives and routines of the people living in the vicinity and affect their resources of water.
This power which had been given to the Divisional secretaries for decades was taken back to the Forest Department due to gross mismanagement and abuse of these forest reserves by giving portions of these lands to their friends as well as politicians who intervened and used their influence to grab large areas of land which led to deforestation and destruction, the party explained.
The JVP further said if the government wishes to give land to landless people, this could be done utilizing the lands owned by the Land Reforms Commission. The nationalization of lands in the seventies was carried out by the government at that time with this same purpose in mind. What actually took place with these lands during the past several decades was that they were given to companies and organizations owned by a wealthy few. Protected forests and forests other than sanctuaries as well as national forests were claimed by landless people using illegal means due to the non-adherence of the policies of the Land Reform Commission.
If such a decision were to take place, it should not be done hurriedly, during the time of an impending election, but rather after parliament has been formed and convened with broad discussion taking place on the matter. Taking decisions at a time when parliament is dissolved and the main focus is on the epidemic and the impending election can only cause environmental destruction which is inevitable and cannot be avoided.
The abolition of the Circular causes weakening of the laws of forest protection. Furthermore, several species of fauna and flora which are endemic to specific regions have been discovered by environmental scientists in these forest areas which are not sanctuaries or national forests.
The JVP requested the President and the Cabinet of Ministers to please revoke the abolition of the Circular which could cause immense destruction of these forests.
“We also urge you to use the advice of specialist committees to study the effects of environmental destruction which could be caused by the abolition or withdrawal of the said circular. We further request you to halt the transfer of the forest reserves from the Forest Department to the Divisional secretaries, which is not an urgent matter at this time, and can give rise to obvious and inevitable environmental destruction, as well as avoid the misappropriation of these lands by potential candidates which had been done several times in the past’, the party concluded. (Newswire)
One of the most destructive decision taken by any government against the environment after British Colonial Destruction of Virgin Forests of our country.
Citizens must use their vote against this notorious act of the governing party. pic.twitter.com/3Vh38w97uS
— Bimal Rathnayake (@BimalRathnayake) July 9, 2020