A complaint has been lodged with the Galle Police alleging that the tender holder, who had been offered the tender to cut down and dispose hazardous and decayed branches of huge trees aged over 100 of years at the premises of Court Complex in pristine Galle Fort, had felled down the branches with timber value together with the decayed branches. The complaint has been made by, Attorney Ajith Kumara of Galle Bar Association.
The Registrar of Galle High Court had requested Galle Environment Police and Galle Heritage Foundation to take measures to cut and remove the hazardous and decayed branches of the age-old huge trees at the court premises pointing out that several hundreds of people come for various litigating purposes and a large number of vehicles are parked daily at this area.
Accordingly, Galle Municipal Council had called for tenders for felling down and removing the hazardous and decayed branches of the trees. Subsequently, the council had awarded the tender for the specific work on condition that the tender holder should complete the contract between January 1 to 6.
Thereafter the tender holder had executed the work on January 2 and 3 as per tender terms and conditions.
Whereas, the complainant has charged the tender holder had cut down live branches with much timber value together with the decayed branches and urged to hold a proper investigation into the alleged charge.
Nevertheless, when inquired from the respective tender holder, Sriyani Siriyalatha of Hapugala, Galle, she responded that she had not done any wrong activity in contrary to the contract terms and conditions and she carried out the task before a Technical Officer of the council.
“I did not do anything wrong. When cutting decayed branches, they have to be removed together with some live parts of the branches. After removing the decayed parts, we apply a chemical on the face of the cut branch”, she explained.
SI Rathnamalala and Sergeant Karunadasa are conducting investigation into the complaint on instructions of Galle Headquarter Inspector IP S. S. Jayaweera.
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