Sanath Nishantha

Sanath Nishantha is a Sri Lankan politician and a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. He was elected from Puttalam District in 2015.He is a Member of the United People's Freedom Alliance.[1][2]


Sanath Nishantha

Member of the Sri Lankan Parliament
for Puttalam District
Assumed office
2015
Personal details
NationalitySri Lanka
Other political
affiliations
United People's Freedom Alliance


Controversies

Arrests for assault

Sanath Nishantha has been arrested several times for assaults. In 2008 he and his brother Jagath Samantha assaulted and obstructed the duties of the then Arachchikattuwa Divisional Secretary and again in 2015 during the presidential election he and his supporters attacked an office of the candidate Maithripala Sirisena and assaulted his supporters. [3][4][5]


Illegal environmental destruction

In 2020 a video was provided to the media in which Nishantha was seen attempting to force forest conservationists and locals to allow the mangroves in Negombo to be destroyed to build a volleyball Court. When a state official questioned the impact the destruction would have on the valuable coastal mangrove ecosystem and pointed out how such continued deforestation throughout the country would lead to future generations not having any oxygen to breath, one of Nishanthas supporters claimed that the local children "do not need oxygen". Environment and Wildlife Resources Minister S.M. Chandrasena said Sanath Nishantha was ignorant of the Wildlife Protection Act but even after the incident Nishantha claimed he would not stop despite the opposition. [6][7][8]

In August 2020 at least an acre of a Ramsar wetland in Anawilundawa in Puttalam was illegally cleared for shrimp farming. This caused massive outrage and a committee was appointed for investigation. The police investigation revealed that Jagath Samantha the brother of Sanath Nishantha was the person that directed the destruction. [9][10]

References

  1. "PM Ranil receives highest Preferential votes with 500,566". hirunews.lk. 18 August 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  2. "Preferential votes- General Election 2015". adaderana.lk. 18 August 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  3. "Warrant issued for arrest of Sanath Nishantha". Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  4. "Police arrest North Western PC fisheries Minister Sanath Nishantha". Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  5. Poornamal, Prasad; Corr, Puttalam District Group. "JO MP, brother remanded". Daily News. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  6. "Female state official stands up against the imminent destruction of the Queen's Isle in Negombo". Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  7. "Sanath Nishantha oblivious to Wildlife Protection Act: Chandrasena". Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  8. "I will proceed with the project whatsoever: Sanath Nishantha". Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  9. "Investigations reveal Minister Sanath Nishantha's connection to Anavilundawa Wetlands destruction". NewsWire. 2020-09-10. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  10. "Minister's brother connected to wetlands destruction – probe". EconomyNext. 2020-09-10. Retrieved 2020-09-11.


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