Public protests loom against hotel project at Nuwara Eliya Post Office

The Nuwara Eliya Post Office is to be transformed to a luxury hotel maintaining its British era's grandeur amidst protests of locals as well as tourists currently visiting the country.   

A group of tourists now in Nuwara Eliya staged a protest demonstration in front of the post office building displaying a banner which said: “Enough hotels to stay. But only one Royal mail office to view. Save it for the future”, several residents told TimesOnline.

They added that tourists have expressed their concern on the government’s decision to set up a luxury hotel using this red brick building built by the British in 1894.   

The Nuwara Eliya Post Office is an iconic building which is situated at the centre of the Nuwara Eliya town. This two-stored red brick building built to the Tudor Revival architectural style is one of the oldest post offices in the country.

Despite the government’s declaration of postal service as an essential service the United Postal Trade Unions Front (UPTUF) has launched a 48-hour strike from midnight yesterday to express their opposition against the plans to sell the buildings where Kandy and Nuwara Eliya post offices are located.

Sri Lanka Post announced that all postal workers will be denied leave for three days, starting today.

Cabinet Spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardena announced) that the Government has decided to hand over the Nuwara Eliya Post Office to Taj Samudra Hotel to develop it as a hotel project. (Bandula)