Agriculture Minister K.D. Lalkantha clarified that the Araliya Hotel near Parakrama Samudra in Polonnaruwa does not sit on tank reserve land. Only its front fence is reportedly encroaching, and if needed, that alone will be removed. The hotel, owned by Dudley Sirisena, was acquired from the Tourism Board, the minister confirmed at a recent public event.
The Araliya Hotel, located adjacent to the Parakrama Samudra in Polonnaruwa, has not been built on land belonging to the historic tank reserve, according to Agriculture Minister K.D. Lalkantha.
Speaking at a public event, the minister stated that while the hotel itself does not violate the tank reservation, information has emerged suggesting that the front fence of the hotel has been constructed on the reserve land.
“If any removal is necessary, it will only involve the fence of the hotel,” he said, addressing concerns raised over potential encroachment.
Minister Lalkantha also confirmed that the hotel, currently owned by businessman Dudley Sirisena, was legally acquired through the Tourism Board.
He emphasized that the issue should not be exaggerated as the hotel structure remains outside the protected area of the reservoir. The encroachment, he noted, is minimal and limited to the boundary fence in front of the property.
The statement comes amid growing public scrutiny over land usage near heritage and environmentally sensitive zones in Sri Lanka. Activists and opposition members had raised questions regarding whether the hotel was built within the designated tank reserve zone of the ancient Parakrama Samudra.
The minister’s remarks aim to settle speculation and direct attention to what he described as a “minor boundary issue” that could be resolved with the removal of the fence if deemed necessary by authorities.
The Parakrama Samudra, one of Sri Lanka’s largest and oldest irrigation tanks, is protected under strict environmental and archaeological regulations. Any development within or near its boundaries is often subject to legal and public interest challenges.
