Deputy Transport Minister Prasanna Gunasena has instructed railway authorities to remove gates and boundary walls within one month from a vacant plot of land belonging to the Railway Department along the Nawalapitiya–Ginigathhena main road, where a building operating under the name of former Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage’s foundation is located.
The directive was issued during the Nawalapitiya–Pasbage Korale Divisional Development Committee meeting held at the Nawalapitiya Samurdhi Bank auditorium, chaired by Parliamentarian Thushari Jayasinghe.
During discussions related to the Railway Department, several key issues concerning the unauthorised use of railway-owned land were raised. The Deputy Minister requested a clarification on the current status of three sections of the premises: the Mahindananda Foundation building, a ceremonial equipment supply centre, and an adjacent vacant plot that has been enclosed with gates and walls.
Railway Department officials informed the meeting that two portions of the land had been leased out, while temporary approval had been granted for the remaining section. It was also revealed that although the land was initially provided under a residential lease agreement, the agreement had later been amended to permit charitable and commercial activities, and that part of the assessed lease payment had already been made.
However, the Deputy Minister pointed out that the vacant land enclosed with gates was being used in a manner inconsistent with the lease agreement. He instructed railway officials to take immediate steps to remove the gates and boundary walls within one month, restoring open access to the railway property.
Addressing the meeting, Gunasena said the government could not justify clearing unauthorised structures belonging to ordinary citizens while allowing valuable state land in town centres to be used by influential individuals without proper legal basis. He stated that the land should be managed through a transparent business model and suggested that if Aluthgamage wished to retain the property, it should be done through lawful payment to the State.
He further stressed that unauthorised meetings or activities conducted behind closed gates on state-owned land would not be permitted, noting that the government had a responsibility to recover revenue owed to the State. He also warned that if the removal was resisted, police and relevant authorities would be called in to enforce the decision.
The Deputy Minister added that the Railway Department’s legal division had confirmed that such lease agreements could be revoked if they were being violated, and emphasised that no individual would be allowed to occupy state land indefinitely under the assumption that inaction would legitimise the occupation.
Meanwhile, when the issue of unauthorised constructions in Nawalapitiya town was raised, the Municipal Council Secretary stated that nearly 200 unauthorised structures currently existed within the council’s jurisdiction, with more than 20 new constructions still ongoing.
The Deputy Minister instructed officials to provide the media with a list of such constructions to raise public awareness and encourage community-level opposition to illegal activities. He also directed that legal action be initiated against at least ten of these unauthorised constructions within one month, in coordination with the Urban Development Authority.
