Image: Another hotel allegedly built on an encroached land of Parakrama Samudraya: A bird’s eye view of the controversial Sudu Araliya Hotel
A hotel owned by Mrs. Ajantha Rupasari Herath, wife of former North Central Province Governor Maheepala Herath, has been ordered to be demolished after authorities confirmed it was illegally constructed within the Perimiyankulama Tank Reserve.
Maheepala Herath is a pro-Rajapaksa politician.
The directive was issued by Central Nuwaragam Province Divisional Secretary Sudarshana Dissanayake, who stated that the hotel and several adjoining structures occupy a 60-perch plot of protected land. The buildings were reportedly erected without proper documentation or legal authorization.
According to the demolition notice, the structures must be removed within one month.
This enforcement action is part of a broader government initiative led by the Irrigation Department to safeguard tank reserves in the Anuradhapura District. The program includes land surveys and the installation of boundary markers to prevent future encroachments.
Following a recent survey, Divisional Secretary Dissanayake confirmed that the disputed property falls well within the officially designated boundaries of the Perimiyankulama Tank Reserve, prompting the legal intervention.
(With the inputs from a Daily Mirror news story.)