The Hon. (Dr.) Hiniduma Sunil Senevi - Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs
The Minister responded to concerns about a historically significant site in Ratnapura, stating that he had inspected it and obtained reports from archaeological officials. He noted issues over land excluded between two Gazette notifications, alleged sale of a nearby plot, ongoing private construction, and unresolved questions about intermediary resales. He said the inquiry and government intervention are continuing, and that he would report the final position with the aim of protecting the monument and its surrounding landscape according to its declared status.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Your concern is clear. This is a site of exceptional historic value in Ratnapura. I have personally inspected it and obtained a full report via the Director-General of Archaeology and the Assistant Director in Ratnapura.
¶ 02 The issue relates to the land lost between the first and second Gazettes: 6 acres, 1 rood, 30 perches. A plot very close to the Walawwa has reportedly been sold, with private construction ongoing. There are unresolved issues regarding resale through intermediaries and many unclear aspects.
¶ 03 We have not halted our study and intervention. Once the full inquiry concludes, I will report the precise position. My focus is to ensure the monument and its landscape setting are protected as per its declared status.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Wednesday, 12 November 2025 ·No. 23378 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. (Dr.) Hiniduma Sunil Senevi - Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 12 November 2025. No. 23378. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/17246