Controversy over CMC-UDA project: State Minister clarifies

A fresh controversy has erupted with the Colombo Municipal Councillor Sharmila Gonawela (SLPP) alleging what she called an unauthorised and arbitrary handing over of the Kollupitiya market belonging to the CMC to a Chinese investor.

The building stands on a 109- perch land.

In a statement issued yesterday (17) Mrs. Gonawela alleged that the agreement in that regard had been signed under the leadership of State Minister Dr. Nakala Godahewa and Colombo Mayor Rosy Senanayake. Dr. Godahewa is the State Minister for Urban Development, Waste Disposal and Community Cleanliness coming under the purview of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. According Mrs. Gonawela Premier Rajapaksa hasn’t been briefed.

Mrs. Gonawala has urged Public Services, Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Janaka Bandara to rescind the transaction as it didn’t have proper approvals.

The Island raised the issue at hand with Dr. Godahewa, who emphasized that the Colombo Mayor brought the proposal and presented to Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa before finalizing the agreement with the UDA. The UDA followed the procedures in place as regards the Colpetty building. Denying he signed any MoU as alleged, Dr. Godahewa said they didn’t have any objections to the CMC proposal as the country needed foreign investments.

The State Minister said that a similar campaign but on a much larger scale was carried out against the Shangri-La investment that made possible the construction of the state of the art defence complex at Akuregoda. Dr. Godahewa recalled the support extended by the CMC to the Shangri-La project that enabled the government to obtain funds required to undertake Akuregoda project (SF)