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President orders to suspend DS acquisition plan

02 Jun 2021

  • UDA had planned multi-storey car park for school 

By Buddhika Samaraweera    The Urban Development Authority (UDA), on the instructions of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has suspended the project for the construction of a multi-storey vehicle park that was to be implemented by taking over a plot of land belonging to D.S. Senanayake College, Colombo 7.  Speaking at a media briefing held yesterday (1), UDA Director General Prasad Ranaweera said that the media had misinterpreted this project which was to be implemented considering the betterment of the school itself.  “As a result, the President instructed me to suspend the project. I then advised the UDA officials to take necessary steps,” he said.  The alumni of the D.S. Senanayake College earlier said that they are preparing to initiate legal action against the proposed acquisition of the said plot of land for the project if the relevant gazette notification issued by President Rajapaksa is not revoked.  When contacted by The Morning, the former President of the Old Boys Association (OBA), Shiraj Inimankada said that neither the School Development Committee (SDC) nor the OBA had been informed about the plans to take over the said plot of land before the relevant gazette notification was issued on 19 May. According to the relevant gazette notification, the land to be acquired for this project, which is valued at approximately Rs. 900 million, is the official residence of the Deputy Principal of the School, he said.  “There must have been discussions regarding this with the Principal before issuing the gazette notification. However, neither the parents, the SDC nor the OBA have been informed about any of this.”  He also said that the present Members of Parliament and Ministers who studied at the D.S. Senanayake College had been informed in this regard and added that if the authorities fail to give a written promise that the said land will not be taken over under any circumstances, they (the OBA) would definitely take legal action in this regard.  He also claimed that there is information that the investor for the project to acquire this land and build a vehicle park in it is being brought by an MP and that it has been learned that the said MP has also discussed with the UDA regarding the proposed acquisition of the land.  President Rajapaksa, on 19 May, issued an Extraordinary Gazette notification under the Urban Development Projects (Special Provisions) Act, No. 2 of 1980 as amended, stating that an allotment of land namely the Sri Bauddhaloka Viharaya land (part of the land) and D.S. Senanayake College land (part of the land) is urgently required for the purpose of constructing a multi-storey vehicle park and urban development activities. It was also mentioned in the said gazette notification that the decision was reached upon the recommendation of the Minister in charge of the subject of Urban Development and Housing.  The extent of the acquired land under this project belongs to the D.S. Senanayake College, the Sri Bauddhaloka Viharaya and the adjacent highway. As stated in the gazette notification, the outline plan for the acquired land has been prepared by the UDA’s Urban Architect Shanika Sumanapala and Land Manager Vajira Dissanayake.  


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