Ratepayers rights and public rights velated

By L.B.Senaratne 

The rights of the Ratepayers has been ‘prostituted’ by the Kandy Muncipality and they have blocked the public throughfare of the public by installing seating accommodation for a price during the Kandy Esala Perahera.
The General Secretary of the Organization Anura Gonawela,  for the Protection of Public Property has condemned the erecting of  seats for money without proper notice to the public, as the corridor once used by the Hotel has been vested on the ratepayers by a Judicial Judgment.
This corridor was once in the hands of Queen’s Hotel, but by  Judicial Judgement, it was handed over to the Ratepayers of Kandy and a plaque was unveiled by the former Mayor D.E.Pathirane VESTING it in the public as a throughfare
These seating arrangements caused the public fleeing after the elephant stampede on 22nd August into utter chaos and the Police were left to find means of evacuating the public fleeing the stampede.
The Organization is opinion that if the Municipality. was to construct seats a Public notice of this intention should have been published in the newspapers in all languages for any objections according to the Municipal Ordinance.
The Organisation also questions whether they have had the approval of the Governor as the Local Government Head for constructing these seats in an area used by the public , in the  first place.