Cabinet approval had been granted to remove the Pandu Karanda tree ( Crudia Zeylanica) located in Daraluwa, Veyangoda and was in the centre of a controversy as it stood in the way of the Central Expressway project, Transport and Highways Minister Bandula Gunawardena said today.
The tree was removed over the weekend despite campaigns by environmentalists earlier.
Minister Gunawardena said if they were to change the route of the expressway – Kadawatha – Mirigama section, it would have cost Rs 15 billion more.
He said therefore the cabinet approval was sought to remove the tree.
He said they have found 12 other trees which are over 40 years old in the area.
The Government is finalising a list of names to be posted as heads of Sri Lanka’s missions abroad with ex-Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya assuming the position of Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.
Kandiah (Ken) Balendra, a veteran corporate leader and the first Sri Lankan chairman of John Keells Holdings (JKH) has passed away at the age of 85.
The CID has arrested Susantha de Silva, former Managing Director of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) for allegedly misappropriating 6.1 million rupees in 2014.
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