Locally known as Dole Lanka, it had the blessings of Basil Rajapaksa, Jagath Pushpakumara and Shashindra Rajapaksa during the previous regime.

It is now grabbing land in the dry zone, including 11,600 acres of land at Kandakadu, belonging to the Somawathi national park by taking over from the Army, to grow Cavendish bananas for exportation.

The company has also taken over 4,600 acres of land at three separate locations near Lunugamvehera national park in Moneragala.

During the previous regime, it had obtained 1,400 acres of land at Meegaswewa in Nikawewa, Thanamalwila.

The ex-government had planned to hand over 5,000 acres from Kotiyagala in Moneragala, and the plan is still in operation.

Several ministers of the previous regime had mediated to illegally hand over 1,800 acres at Kudaoya in Wellawaya, 1,600 acres at Demodara, Vandama in Buttala and 1,200 acres at Wekada in Buttala to the Japanese company grow Cavendish bananas.

The former district foreign officer in Moneragala had given land to Dole in violation of the wildlife conservation ordinance.

The company is expanding its properties by illegally buying land belonging to farmers who had been cultivating on licensed land.

Await further details…