“Our plans are still on,” says Krrish official at the office reception
Officials at the controversial Krrish project in Fort, which is yet to receive the full payment for it to get off the ground, say their project is still on.
The project has been suspended for many years as a final payment amounting to 10 per cent of the full lease and interest payments thereafter for payment delays.
The Krrish site in Fort
With the entry of a new government and speculation about the future of this project which drew allegations of corruption by certain government officials, a charge strongly denied by the company, this reporter visited the Krrish office on Level 35, West Tower World Trade Centre Echelon Square in Colombo on Thursday.
This is the second visit since last year, and this is what the Business Times found:
“I visited the premises around 3.30 p.m. The entrance door to the Krrish office was half open and a receptionist was sitting right in front in the reception talking to someone on her mobile phone. As soon as she saw me walking towards her, she hung up the phone and asked me why I was there. I told her that I came to ascertain whether there has been any improvement in the progress of the project and whether she could provide me some details as to when it was planned to begin.
She responded saying that there is no one at the office to give information on my inquiry. ‘There is no one at the office at the moment to give any information to anyone regarding the project,”. she said. But I knew she was not entirely truthful as there was a lady sitting behind a glass partition on the right side who appeared to be at work.
When I asked the receptionist whether I could obtain any information from anyone else if I came the next day, she shook her head saying “NO” she took a note book and pen from her desk and asked me for my contact details including my name, email address and telephone number and said that she will forward any email related to the project such as brochures and leaflets of the new plans and description.
I asked her whether there are any changes in the plan, prices of the apartments and whether the project will happen someday or not. She said that the project is still on. “We are waiting till our final plan is finalised and then we will start the project,” she said.
It is unusual for a company handling such a mega project to allow a receptionist to take inquiries on the project and respond with a comment like “our project is on’.”
| Krrish better pay up; no room for wheeler dealers – Ravi K says Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake says that the much hyped multimillion Krrish Transworks Towers project will have to meet its dues and there will be no further discussion on this matter. “Krrish hasn’t paid its due amounts. They will need to pay all the default payments including the interest payments,” he told the Business Times. He said there will be absolutely no further negotiation to extend payment timelines with this company. “There will be no wheeler dealing in this government.” Since March 2013, the project has been halted as the company has not honoured its payments to the Urban Development Authority (UDA) owing to a land issue with the Indian Investor withholding the balance payment for the land calling for clearance. A Krissh official told the Business Times that the company is seeking fresh negotiations with the new regime. (DEC) |