Port City suspension was in country's interest - Wijayadasa
Rajapakshe
by Manjula Fernando
The suspension of the Port City project was in the country's interest
and nothing else, Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe said dismissing
criticism by ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa that the move was part of
domestic politics to tarnish his image.
The former President, whose political allies are planning a possible
comeback for him at the upcoming parliamentary elections after April
this year, met foreign journalists in his hometown, Tangalle recently
where he made this accusation.
Denying allegations that he is pro-China, the former President said
his aim was to develop Sri Lanka and the only country which had the
inclination and resources to assist him, was China.
The Justice Minister said the project proposal violated the country's
law including the Environment laws.
It has obtained no Environment Impact Assessment report, no clear
idea on land transfer, no clear assurances on security concerns among
other things.
The China funded Port City project, which aspires to build an
offshore city on 230 hectares of reclaimed land came under heavy flak
for lack of transparency and the arbitrary manner in which it had been
initiated. The project will give one-third of the reclaimed land to the
Chinese investor outright and over 100 hectares on a 99 year lease,
another factor that has been deemed as shortsighted.
Stopping this project was one of the key election promises of the
then Opposition and when the new Government seemed to delay the
suspension of the project until a proper study is carried out, the
environmental groups a week ago took to the streets demanding the
immediate halt of the project claiming it was a threat to sustainable
development.
China's new Ambassador to Colombo, Yi Xianliang, said the Port City
project, President Xi Jinping inaugurated last year would create 83,000
jobs.
He said, "It will be of great significance for Sri Lanka's economic
development, attracting foreign investments and promoting local
tourism."
The land reclamation part of the project is 100 percent funded by or
funded on finances raised by the Hong Kong listed China Communications
Construction Company (CCCC) with no financial commitment on the part of
the government.
When the land filling is over, only two-thirds of the re-claimed land
will be handed over to the Government for development on foreign or
local investments.
Work on the project came to a standstill since March 6 and the
workers hired for land filling work that commenced last September are
protesting against the decision. |