Venerable Bengamuwe Dhammadinna Thero has raised conce s about an organization collecting funds for the renovation of Sri Pada without proper authorization.

The Thero specifically referred to a group called 'Samanala Kanda Rasika Ekamuthuwa,' accusing them of misleading the public to collect large sums of money in donations.

'They claim to work for environmental protection but are misleading people while collecting lakhs of rupees. None of these activities, like painting fences or cleaning, have been approved by the Chief District Officer or the trusteeship. All work in Uda Malu is carried out without collecting donations,' stated the Thero. He urged the public not to contribute to unauthorized organizations.

In response, 'Samanala Kanda Rasika Ekamuthuwa' denied the allegations in a Facebook post, claiming the accusations were a misunderstanding.

“We completely deny the allegations that we collected donations without permission or carried out unauthorized activities such as painting the handrail of the Hatton Nallathanniya Road or hosting a Dansala. The Chief Venerable has mistakenly attributed actions done by another group to us,” the statement read.

The organization clarified that it has been operating since January 2019 as a disciplined Facebook group focused on providing accurate updates about the Samanala Kanda Nature Reserve and the Siripa pilgrimage. They emphasized their collaboration with gove ment officials from related areas and stated that their efforts are strictly informational.