News

News

When the going gets tough the land in Madiwela gets going
President Chandrika Kumaratunga will own a plot of land valued over Rs. 100 million close to the Parliament complex after her retirement in December.
The cabinet has approved a proposal to grant one and a half acres of state land in the Madiwela gramasevaka division of the Maharagama Assistant Government Agents (AGA) division, Urban Development Minister, Dinesh Gunawardena told The Sunday Times.

The plan to donate land to the President, was kept a secret apparently even from the Urban Development Ministry Secretary and UDA officials who say they were unaware of the proposal until they read about it in the newspapers
Deputy Minister of Urban Development, Mahinda Amaraweera also claimed that he was unaware of the proposal.

Hours before the Court ruled that President Kumaratunga’s term would end later this year the President’s office officially announced the details about the donation of the land. The President’s office said that her personal funds will be used for the entire construction cost.

“President Kumaratunga has decided to forego her entitlements such as pension, official residence, maintenance allowances for the residence and all stipends to meet utility bills such as electricity, water etc.

“The Cabinet of Ministers noted that President Kumaratunga had already decided to forego compensation due to her, for the loss of an eye during an attempt on her life and the political assassination of her husband Mr. Wijaya Kumaratunga.

5 “The value of the land to be allocated to President Kumaratunga is insignificant compared with the entitlements she has given up and also proposes to forego in the future,” a statement issued by the President’s office said.

However residents in that area say the plot of land was in a prime area where the land value has been appreciating steadily over the past few years.

Rs. 700 m. Madiwela complex: Now what?
The now abandoned, partially-built presidential complex at Madiwela had cost the government more than Rs. 700 million, Urban Development Authority (UDA) officials said.

The project proposed by the former PA government and estimated at Rs. 1.7 billion was to include a presidential residence, the presidential secretariat and the president’s security units. The aim of the project was to have a unit close to the parliament complex, but the whole project was abandoned in 2000.
When the project was suddenly abandoned, the foundations for all three buildings had come up on the eight-acre land at Madiwela Director, Design Project Management and Consultancy - UDA, Nihal Fernando told The Sunday Times.

He said the Rs. 700 million spent, included the costs incurred on land development and infrastructure development in the area surrounding the complex. UDA officials say they have put up a security fence around the land and are awaiting instructions from authorities regarding what is to be done with the land.

Meanwhile, residents close to the proposed complex complain that they had to change their building plans to facilitate the commencement of work related to the complex which has now been abandoned.

Top

Back to News