Otter’s Aquatic Club taken over by UDA; handed over to Waters Edge

3 October 2020 06:04 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 22 Bookmark

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A leading Colombo Seven sports club, the Otter's Aquatic Club, which was issued with an eviction notice recently, has been taken over by the Urban Development Authority (UDA) and then handed over to the Waters Edge, informed sources said.

The Otter's Aquatic Club was issued with a notice to vacate its current location on Bauddhaloka Mawatha by the Divisional Secretariat, Thimbirigasyaya on August 20 this year.

The notice dated August 18 had been issued under the hand of Thimbirigasyaya Divisional Secretary Priyantha Dissanayake. The notice makes mention of illegal ownership of State property by the club.

The eviction notice stated that the occupants, Otter's Aquatic Club, should hand over vacant possession of the property to the Divisional Secretary, Thimbirigasyaya or the Grama Niladhari, Thimbirigasyaya, on or before September 30, 2020.

Several attempts by the Daily Mirror to contact the management of Otter's Aquatic Club, Waters Edge and officials of the UDA failed.

Meanwhile, sources declined to reveal the reason behind the take over as the official statement should come from the management. (Sheain Fernandopulle)

Comments - 22

Odin Saturday, 03 October 2020 06:37 AM

Doesn't matter to the otter as long as there is water!

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Ram Saturday, 03 October 2020 07:15 AM

Tragic situation. The Club assets being given to a private company is unacceptable

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Ralston Pereira Saturday, 03 October 2020 12:38 PM

This is the government that the Srilankan people voted for. Now it appears that we cannot find the actual people who voted for these people.

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Know your facts Saturday, 03 October 2020 03:23 PM

Ran!! Waters edge is run by UDA. It belongs to the government. Patali was messing up by building more around watered edge during his tenure and destroying nature

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Andrew Silva Saturday, 03 October 2020 07:51 AM

As usual every thing is done in secret, that is the new trand.

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Lahiru Samarasinghe Saturday, 03 October 2020 08:45 AM

What crooks these Waters Edge people are! Otters Club paid taxes to the government for years and is now being handed over to Waters Edge which also took over land in Battaramulla which was supposed to be environmentally protected.

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DHA Saturday, 03 October 2020 11:01 AM

This action was taken due to the fact that Otters Club evaded paying their taxes for a long period !

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Farieze Saturday, 03 October 2020 01:52 PM

All political revenge

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Tj Saturday, 03 October 2020 03:20 PM

Lahiru President chandrika is the one who gave that land it to sumal. There was a court case too. The government took what was rightfully theirs. Read facts before you assume. waters edge is NOT PRIVATE

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Kemananda de silva Saturday, 03 October 2020 10:16 AM

What can you expect, UDA chairman Raja Edirisooriya did the the same thing when he was at the UDA during previous Rajapaksa regime, that time he sold government land under the market value to Harry Jayawardena. Once a crook always a crook.

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Deen Saturday, 03 October 2020 12:03 PM

Taken over on 30th September and handed over within 24 hours. UDA being a Government body we appreciate and salute your total Transparency.

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Herman Perera Saturday, 03 October 2020 12:27 PM

This is what happens when you elect a Govt. with a Two Thirds majority, they behave like Drunken Sailors. They will take over whatever they can. You got to blame the Voters.

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Lankikeya Saturday, 03 October 2020 03:11 PM

Hope this is only the start and there will be more to come. What a pathetic situation.

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Mm Saturday, 03 October 2020 03:18 PM

Waters age is owned by the government( UDA) because it was build on government land by sumal during Chandrikas time

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GHarry Saturday, 03 October 2020 06:16 PM

Another HORAKAM of Gavapalanaya Aanduva.

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Buddhist Saturday, 03 October 2020 06:23 PM

Will any foreign company invest in SL if the Govt acts like this?

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dinesh Saturday, 03 October 2020 07:27 PM

what happens to the membership people hold with the club now

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Parakrama Karunarathna Saturday, 03 October 2020 08:00 PM

The whole thing is illegal or done with the connivance of the management of the club. The notice to vacate and hand over the premises was issued by the divisionsal secretary under the State Lands (Recovery of Possesseion) Act No.7 of 1979 as amended. Even after the notice unless the Otter Club voluntarily handed over the premises, for which the membership of 7000 should have agreed, the divisional secretary is required by law to file action in the magistrate court. I am not aware whether such action was filed. It appears that Otter's just folded without the knowledge of the members and agreed to hand over the land. But how was it that the UDA took it over? The land did not belong to UDA. It was state land given on a 30 year lease in 1959 by the then Governor General. At the expiry of the 30 year lease an understanding was arrived with the government for the club to continue. To me the whole thing smacks of a deal between some of the office bearers and the UDA.

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Inshirah Saturday, 03 October 2020 08:18 PM

What a shame that a club so old had to change hands due to mismanagement. Hope the members are not affected in any way and hope the change is for the better.

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Palitha Saturday, 03 October 2020 09:10 PM

Who gave them the right to be a squatter's club?

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Wonderlander Sunday, 04 October 2020 06:31 AM

Little wonder in Land of Wonders. Wonder who the Underhanded Deals Authority comes under?

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Buddhist Sunday, 04 October 2020 08:00 AM

With no court order, how can anyone invest in Sri Lanka? Why not then takeover the Ghost house of the Brother?

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