Government has privatized state services, but kept the structures - JVP

 Monday, 02 December 2013 

The JVP has charged that the government contrary to its policy statements has privatized many state services while holding on to the structures.

JVP politburo member K.D. Lalkantha said in a programme on private television that despite claims by the government that privatization is not one of its policies, many state services have been given out to the private sector.

He observed that the country’s health sector was a good example where many services in the sector have been given out to the private sector while keeping behind the infrastructure facilities like buildings and equipment.

“When a patient earlier went to a state hospital all services were provided within the hospital, but now most services have been assigned to private health institutions and patients are directed by state hospitals to these private institutions,” Lalkantha explained.

Secret of Colombo millionaires becoming poor farmers in Kataragama

 Monday, 02 December 2013 

Issuing licenses for state land in Kataragama began in 2004 and then then divisional secretary for the area was Ariyaratne Edirisinghe. Under the first phase, 90 plots of land were given licenses, signed by him. In the 10 succeeding years, the Kataragama Divisional Secretariat has issued around 800 land licenses.

The basic qualification to become eligible to obtain a land license is being a farmer with a monthly income of less than Rs. 3,000. That license is for farmers’ category. Ninety per cent of the 800 licenses given so far have been issued to the names of millionaires of Colombo. Each license holder has spent between Rs. 500,000 and Rs. 1,000,000 per land. This is a completely illegal act. The Kataragama DS and Grama Seva Officers are selling these licenses for hundreds of thousands of rupees, although they should be issued free of charge.

Incumbent DS E.B.M. Atapattu and Grama Seva Officer Sanath de Silva have earned millions of rupees from this land license racket. The irony of it is that in 2004, the then DS Ariyaratne Edirisinghe used to visit Kataragama once a month, issue licenses, backdated with his signature, and go back with at least two to three million rupees in his pocket, according to very reliable sources.

Astrologers Alfred Sudasinghe and his son Mindula Sudasinghe, who have close connections with the president, have obtained several acres of land at Situlpawwa Road through this licensing method and already started constructing buildings. They have been given the land by the Kataragama DS on the orders of the president. Await a detailed report on this land racket in Kataragama...

“When the government says it does not privatize, it means the structures, since most services have already been given to the private sectors,” he added.