Haldummulla in Haputale still under Mahinda Rajapaksa?
Mar 21, 2017
During the previous regime, all state institutions in the Haputale electorate were controlled by ex-MP Uditha Lokubandara and former chairman of Haldummulla Pradeshiya Sabha R. Dhanaratne who had exercised their political powers as well as thuggery. They had denied the dues of the area’s public and committed acts of corruption and fraud to repress them.
Dhanaratne was tasked by Basil Rajapaksa with, by hook or by crook, securing victory for Mahinda Rajapaksa over Maithripala Sirisena in the electorate at the last presidential election. The ex-chairman had misused PS vehicles, property, buildings, machinery and money as well as its employees and publicly committed many acts of fraud and corruption.
During the previous regime, the Haldummulla PS area was allotted millions of rupees under the decentralized budget, Maga Neguma, Eka Gamata Eka Wedak, dry zone livelihood programme, upcountry rural rehabilitation programme, upcountry dry zone livelihood programme and other projects. Dhanaratne had got his relatives and cronies to start organizations such as Harankahawa Perakum Farmers Organization, Harankahawa Village Development Society, Harankahawa Samurdhi Balakaya etc, which were given the contracts for all the development work. Constructions and other work were done by PS labourers, watchers by using property of the PS. They had signed their attendance at the PS and then did the work on the contracts. This has caused a massive loss of money to the state. Furthermore, the labourers and watchers are not trained and their constructions are substandard.
A PS member who raised a voice against this was silenced with threats. The Auditor General’s Department had instructed that payments be halted for the substandard constructions. When divisional secretary Shanthini Jayasekara informed him about this, Dhanaratne abused her in filth and ordered her to make the payments, and also assaulted the assistant director of planning.
Furthermore, Dhanaratne had planned to secretly dismantle a street lamp post in the town, several hundreds of years old and declared an artifact by the Archaeological Department, and sell it for a large sum of money. Getting to know the plan, the organization to protect national heritages and public property at Haldummulla informed the Department, and it ordered that the street lamp post be restored to its original position. This organization should be commended for not giving in to the political power and thuggery of Dhanaratne.
Fearing that he would be punished for his wrongdoing, Dhanaratne had tried, through Haputale organizer Sumith Samayadasa, to join the ‘Yahapaalana’ government. But, knowing his record, Samayadasa has ignored him. He is now trying to become close to the Uva chief minister and another minister. People of Halatutenna, Soragune, Harankahawa, Weeliya, Pathaha and Haldummulla say they will not vote for anyone who accepts Dhanaratne into their ranks.
People of the area have lodged several complaints against Dhanaratne with Haputale police. But, police officers who are from the same area, have been bought and they have wasted the time of the complainants in order to get them to withdraw the complaints.
At a recent tour of Haputale by the president, Dhanaratne mediated to give accommodation for the PSD bodyguards at the hotel owned by the Basnayake Nilame of Soragune Devale and also provided food parcels to participants of the meetings. He has also got his followers to tell the ex-president not to reappoint Uditha Lokubandara as Haputale organizer of his party, with the intention of getting that position for himself. He has publicly said that he would again become the Haldummulla PS chairman or the Haputale MP under a government to be formed by Rajapaksa, and started interfering with the affairs of the divisional secretariat, PS, agrarian office and the police.
Coming from an average family of the area, Dhanaratne had amassed ill-gotten money during his chairmanship and bought houses at Haldummulla and Maharagama, 25 acres of land at Aluthwela, luxury vehicles, a tipper and tractor etc. Following complaints, an investigation was planned, but political influence has disrupted the investigation.
