Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Secretary Ministry of Defense and Urban Services, needs to be congratulated by the community on his contribution to improving the quality of life in the urban sector of
Sri Lanka.
Last week, I noticed the opening of the Canal reservation from Kirimandala Road to Nawala Road Narahenpitia, Colombo 5. A section of this 20-foot road had been blocked for over 40 years by the rich and powerful who grabbed the marshes in the area.
As in most urban areas under the purview of local government authorities, those who could influence politicians, the police etc, encroach on state land. This is rampant in the areas developed since the construction of Parliament in Kotte. The state institutions were helpless vis- -vis the rich. Gotabaya has ensured that these areas are cleared.
Tissa De Silva
Narahenpitiya