A listed property developer has told the Colombo Stock Exchange that land it owns at Athurugiriya was entered without its permission and parts of its boundary fencing and gates removed, in what it says was connected to a proposed bus station for the state-run Metro Bus Service.
Millennium Housing Developers PLC said its wholly owned subsidiary Millennium Housing Ltd (MHL) remains the registered and lawful owner of the property and has not consented to its release, occupation, acquisition or use for the project.
The land and the request
The site is Lot No. 23 at No. 23, Kaduwela Road, Oruwala, Athurugiriya, held under Deed No. 660 registered on 13 September 2013, on a plan prepared in September 2007.
The company said it received letters from the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka dated 20 August 2026 and 21 September 2026 about a request connected with the proposed bus station, according to EconomyNext. It did not agree to the request. The land, it said, “has been retained by MHL as an asset of the Company and is earmarked for a future development project in accordance with the Company’s business plans.”
The entry
On 27 September, the company said, an unauthorised entry was made onto the property and portions of the boundary fencing and gates were removed or dismantled, “allegedly in connection with the proposed establishment of a bus station.”
Millennium Housing said it had authorised no one to enter the land, remove its boundary structures or begin work there. It lodged an initial complaint with Athurugiriya Police and is now taking legal advice.
“Any proposed acquisition, occupation or use of privately owned land must be undertaken through the appropriate legal and statutory process, while respecting the Company’s proprietary rights and the interests of its shareholders,” the company said.
The Daily FT reported that the disclosure was made on Friday.
Two officials questioned
EconomyNext, citing Ada Derana, reported that Kaduwela Mayor Ranjan Jayalal and National People’s Power MP Asitha Niroshana have been questioned by police over the incident. Neither has publicly responded. Ada Derana’s own report could not be retrieved.
Context
The Metro Bus Service was expanded on 29 September with 104 buses on seven routes, run by Lanka Metro Transit, a Sri Lanka Transport Board subsidiary set up in April 2026 under the Clean Sri Lanka programme. Officials have said the service will extend to Jaffna, Kandy and Galle. One of the existing routes, CM02, already runs between Millennium City and Colombo Fort — a separate location from the land at issue here.
Not reported
Neither account says who physically entered the land, whether the BOI authorised or knew of the entry, or whether any acquisition process under the Land Acquisition Act has been started. Neither the BOI, Lanka Metro Transit nor the Sri Lanka Transport Board has commented. No valuation for the site has been published, and it is not stated whether police have opened a criminal investigation or named any suspect.
