News
Kiriella asks for his share of credit for Central Highway project
By Saman Indrajith
Chief Opposition Whip and Kandy District SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella on Tuesday (18) said that the government should be ashamed of taking the credit for the construction of the 41-km long second phase of the Central Expressway by building only a four-kilometre stretch of it.
Addressing the media at the Opposition Leader’s office in Colombo, MP Kiriella said that the yahapalana government had completed 37 out of 41 km stretch of the Central Expressway from Mirigama to Kurunegala. “It is shameful that the government was showing off it as their work. They did not even mention that we almost completed the construction except for four kilometres,” he said.
Kiriella said that when the yahapalana government came to power in 2015 not even an inch of land had been surveyed to construct the stretch from Kadawatha to Galagedara. “After we came to power we planned the expressway from Kadawatha to Galagedara in three phases. We had 20,000 plots of lands surveyed, acquired them and also paid compensation to their owners. Thereafter when the construction began. It was I who spoke for the need to give the contract to local contractors. In that manner, for the first time in expressway constructing history, we gave the contract for the section from Mirigama to Kurunegala to a local contractor. We could have completed the work if not for the constitutional coup that lasted 52 days in 2018.
“We had finished 37 km of the 41 km long expressway. The present government took two and a half years to complete the remaining four kilometres. It is shameful that they did not even thank the yahaplana government for constructing 37 kilometres. The government has nothing to show today. Last Sunday, it opened several projects in Kandy that had been completed by our government. It was on my request that a recreation park was constructed by the former minister Champika Ranawaka near the Dalada Mailgawa. Last Sunday, the government ministers declared it open as if they had done it.
“In 2014, the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa laid foundation stones at several places to construct the Central Expressway but did nothing more than that. Not even an inch of land had been surveyed. It was the yahapalana government that had to pay compensations for that,” said the former Highways Minister Kiriella.
The situation report issued by the Disaster Management Centre at 1800hrs today (5th December) confirms that 607 persons have died due to the adverse weather conditions while the number of missing persons has reduced to 214.
The number of persons affected topped the 2 million mark (2,082,195).
The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) formally took delivery of the EX- United States Coast Guard Cutter, USCGC DECISIVE, provided by the United States to SLN, at a ceremony held at the United
States Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore on 02 Dec 25. The event was also attended by the Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda.
The ship formally joined the SLN fleet on 02 December under the pennant number P 628 and the main mast of the ship will fly the National Flag effective from that date.
Aiming to strengthen and develop partnerships to overcome common challenges in the maritime domain, the U.S. Coast Guard has previously provided 03 ships to SLN and they are currently patrolling island waters under the names of ‘Samudura’ (P 621), ‘Gajabahu’(P 626), and ‘Vijayabahu’ (P 627).
As an extension of partnership ties that bring value to each other’s services, Ex-USCGC DECISIVE was transferred as the fourth ship to be handed to SLN.
Ex-USCGC DECISIVE, a ‘B-Type Reliance Class 210-foot Cutter’, measures 64m in length, and having endurance of 6000 NM at cruising speed. Further, she has been designed for a
crew of 100 and is equipped with weapons and machinery.
The ship which was used by the U.S. Coast Guard has rendered exceptional service during her tenure by curbing illegal activities, including smuggling of narcotics in U.S. waters.
Sri Lanka inherits an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) that is seven times larger than the landmass. In such a backdrop, the Navy is determined to deploy this vessel in wide-ranging
operations that include the conservation of marine resources in the region and the search and rescue of naval and fishing communities in distress. Thereby, the Navy will be able to utilize
this vessel efficiently in the future to achieve the national aspiration, while ensuring safe and secure seas for all economic affairs.
The formal handing over – taking over ceremony was also distinguished by the presence of the Deputy Chief Acquisition Officer and Director of Domain & Integration Services U.S. Coast
Guard, James L. Knight, Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for South and Southeast Asia, Dr. Andrew Byers, the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United States, Mahinda Samarasinghe, Commanding Officer designate of P 628, Captain Gayan Wickramasuriya as well as a group of officials from the Embassy of Sri Lanka in United States and the State Department
of the United State
The situation report issued by the Disaster Management Center at 0600hrs today [5th December] confirms that 486 persons have died and another 341 persons are missing after the devastating weather conditions in the past week.
171,778 persons have been displaced and have taken refuge at 1,231 safety centers established by the government.
Death toll rises to 607, missing persons reduce to 214 at 1800hrs today (5)
Sri Lanka Navy takes delivery of Ex-USCGC DECISIVE
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486 dead, 341 missing, 171,778 displaced as at 0600hrs today [05]
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