D.V. Chanaka claims President’s rally ruined Tangalle grounds

Colombo, October 21 (Daily Mirror) - Former Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP D.V. Chanaka claimed that the Tangalle Municipal Ground has been ruined by the first election rally of President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka.

During an inspection visit to the Tangalle Municipal Grounds, former MP D.V. Chanaka said that the ground was the most valuable place they had in the area. 

"For the past 19 years, this playground has not been made available for any political rally with the collective agreement of all parties, including the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), which also agreed not to use the grounds," he said.

He explained that to use the grounds, a law was put in place by the Tangalle Municipal Council requiring a deposit of Rs. 3.9 million.

However, the President has misused his powers by using the grounds without paying the required deposit, D.V. Chanaka accused.

He claimed that no vehicles were allowed onto the grounds, but the President’s vehicle had been given access, resulting in severe damage. 

"The ground has been turned into a muddy field, with vehicle tire marks all over. The estimated damage is between Rs. 2 million and Rs. 2.5 million," he said.

"This was the only playground we had for under-13 cricket practice matches. Now, it’s completely unusable for cricket, as the ground has become like a paddy field," he added.

D.V. Chanaka questioned the Prime Minister and the Minister of Sports on how they allowed the grounds to be used for a political rally. He urged the President to restore the grounds using the National People's Power (NPP) funds and not government funds. He also demanded the President to explain how he plans to compensate for the valuable time lost for the sports students after the damage to the grounds.