by SURESH PERERA
Amidst protests by the Arts Faculty Teachers’ Association, the Colombo University’s Muttiah Road Hostel for Women and Differently-abled Students, is expected to be acquired to covert the area into what a senior Urban Development Authority (UDA) official described as a “green patch”.
“We have already submitted a proposal to the Cabinet to take over the 2.5 acre land, where the Muttiah Road hostel is situated, in terms of our plans to carve out a ‘green zone’ in Slave Island”, says UDA Director-General, N. P. K. Ranaweera.
Any form of development such as the construction of buildings will not be permitted within the area as what is envisaged is to create a ‘green patch’ encompassing the Beira Lake, the land where the hostel now stands and the Muttiah playground, he noted.
The prime property in question belongs to the government and was given to the Colombo University for hostel accommodation, a senior UDA official in charge of the subject, said.
“There was no payment involved as the Colombo University is also a government institution”, he clarified.
Expressing concern over the move to ‘seize’ the property, the Arts Faculty Teachers’ Association – Colombo University (AFTA-CU), the official trade union of the Faculty of Arts, in a letter to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, said the Muttiah Road complex houses more than 550 female students, including differently-abled students, most of whom are from the Faculty of Arts.
As one of the eight permanent hostels of the University of Colombo, its convenient location, capacity to accommodate a considerable number of students, close proximity to the faculty and the safety of the locale makes it an ideal place of residence for students, the AFTA-CU outlined.
“We have already earmarked a two-acre land at Orugodawatte to build a new hostel for the students”, the Director-General said.
On the aspect of convenience as Muttiah Road is centrally located within the city for the students to travel to university, he remarked, “Orugodawatte is not far away for them to travel to Colombo. In many countries, students travel around 15 kilometres to attend campus. In developed countries, most of them cycle the distance”.
The new Orugodawatte hostel plan was endorsed by the University Grants Commission (UGC), Ranaweera continued. “We are awaiting Cabinet approval to go ahead with implementing the project”.
The hostel has also been recently renovated by the University of Colombo to provide better access to the differently-abled students. The hostel facilities serve the neediest students from rural areas and are a vital resource that ensures their uninterrupted education, the AFTA-CU further said in its letter to the premier.
The University of Colombo does not have adequate hostels and is in the process of enhancing the facilities. In light of the government’s plans to increase the annual intake of students to all state universities, this move that will result in curtailing the limited resources available to the university seems counter-intuitive, it said.
Any move to ‘seize’ the property immediately, will not only deprive the needy students of a chance to better education but also endangers their safety amidst the pandemic which makes finding alternative housing nearly impossible, it added.
The event was organized by the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, and the Department of Hindu Religious and Cultural Affairs.
During the ceremony, ThaiPongal rituals were performed under the patronage of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs. The celebration was enriched with a range of vibrant cultural performances of Hindu culture and traditions.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
Environment Minister Dammika Patabedi said yesterday he had ordered an inquiry into the withdrawal of China-based Amber Adventures (Private) Ltd., from the Ambuluwawa Cable Car Project.Addressing the media, the Minister said the Environment Ministry had no direct agreement with the company, as the project was under the purview of the Board of Investment (BOI).
He said construction activities within the Ambuluwawa Environmental Zone had been suspended following complaints from environmental organisations in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah. All constructions in high-risk areas, he said, had been halted pending clearance by the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO).
According to the Minister, complaints had been received that construction at Ambuluwawa was continuing without NBRO clearance.
In response, the Ministry instructed the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) to conduct an investigation and thereafter construction activities were suspended pending a technical assessment by experts.
The Ministry of Environment subsequently ordered the immediate suspension of all construction activities within the Ambuluwawa Environmental Zone until the assessment was completed, he said, adding that work could resume if expert evaluations cleared the project.
Following the suspension, Amber Adventures (Private) Ltd,, described as the country’s first cable car venture, formally withdrew from the project, citing what it termed “regulatory obstruction and arbitrary state action.”
The company, a major Chinese investor in the project, proposed as Sri Lanka’s first cable car initiative with both Chinese and American investment, officially informed the BOI of its decision on Wednesday (14). In a letter to the BOI, the company said it had obtained all required permits and approvals in line with BOI procedures but faced repeated disruptions that resulted in significant financial losses.
Company Director Yuan Yuping warned that legal action would be pursued at the International Court of Arbitration to recover losses incurred due to the suspension of the project, citing continuous interruptions and government decisions as the cause.
Meanwhile, the Ambuluwawa Trust Board said the withdrawal of investors from the project was a major loss to the country, noting that it was regrettable that decisions had been taken without proper investigation, based on allegations by parties lacking a clear understanding of the facts.
It warned that halting a large-scale project of that nature would result in the loss of direct and indirect employment opportunities, as well as income sources for communities in the surrounding areas.
By Chaminda Silva and SK Samaranayake ✍️
Balangoda Kassapa Thero, held in Trincomalee remand prison over alleged violations of the Coastal Conservation Act, reportedly refused meals yesterday (15).
Prison authorities, however, said it could not be confirmed whether the monk’s action amounted to a hunger strike. Prison Media Spokesperson A. C. Gajanayake added that an official statement on the matter would be issued today (16).
The monk and eight others were remanded until 19 Jan by the Trincomalee Magistrate’s Court over allegations of unauthorised construction of a shelter to place a Buddha statue at the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraj Viharaya. Prison sources said Thero had also declined food brought from outside.
The case follows reports to the court by the Trincomalee Harbour Police that unauthorised constructions had been carried out, despite instructions from the Court of Appeal to resolve the dispute peacefully.
by Chaminda Silva ✍️
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