Hon. Major General (Rtd.) G.D. Sooriyabandara

¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Minister, for the reply. My first supplementary is this:

¶ 02 According to the compendium of guidelines issued by the Presidential Task Force and published in Gazette Extraordinary No. 2196/28 of 06 October 2020—as the Minister stated—procedures are clearly set out on how mining on State and private lands should be permitted and supervised. However, we observe activities contrary to, or abusing, those guidelines. Even where mining occurs on private land, if it harms the environment, the consequences affect all of us. Under the cover of “private land,” approvals are being given at many locations where ecosystems are being destroyed.

¶ 03 By way of example: in Rathnaheeruwa Grama Niladhari Division, Kuliyapitiya East Divisional Secretariat Division, approval had been granted during the previous Government in line with the Presidential Task Force policy to cut a rock on private land to obtain so-called gravel, which was actually for washing soil. Due to public protests, I intervened and it has been stopped. Will you update or amend those guidelines to ensure a proper procedure?