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Trace City dispute: UDA says IT park won’t be shifted
View(s):The Government’s IT Park, the Trace Expert City, will not be moved out of its current location at Maradana in Colombo, despite railway trade unions’ demand that the land be given back to the Railways Department to build a control tower, Urban Development Authority Chairman Jagath Munasinghe said yesterday.
He told the Sunday Times that this land should be used for activities that bring economic benefits to the country, and the purpose of Trace Expert City was just that.
“We have been talking to Railway sDepartment officials since May and we told them we are prepared to come to a mutually acceptable solution,” Dr. Munasinghe said.
On Thursday, Railway trade unions launched a lightning strike after their efforts to fence off an area from Trace Expert City land failed. The unions claimed the land belonged to the Railways Department and it was required to build a control room for the Railways.“The Railways Department has many under-utilised lands in the vicinity to build the control tower. I know the hassle they may face with some of these lands, but I’m sure if they do their homework they will realise that they can make-do with one of the alternative lands,” he said.
Dr. Munasinghe said Transport Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva submitted the Cabinet paper for approval while talks were going on between the UDA and the Railways Department. This was also confirmed by National Policies and Economic Affairs State Minister Harsha de Silva.The State Minister said the Transport Minister had told him that when he submitted the Cabinet paper, he did not know that Trace had several projects lined up to be launched in the land.
He said the Transport Minister would arrive at a fair decision after his discussion with the Prime Minister.Deputy Transport Minister Ashoka Abeysinghe said the Railways Department also required the land for several projects, but the dispute should be sorted out through talks instead of strikes. He said he had explained to Railway officials what the Prime Minister wanted him to convey — wait patiently till Wednesday for a decision.