Dinesh sets the record straight

Clarifying certain media reports on the land allocated to President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga through a Cabinet decision, Urban Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said the plot of land for the President's proposed private residence is not the same land earmarked for the official residence of the Head of State.

"It is located at a far corner of the same stretch of land. No construction has been done in this block of land which is undeveloped. About 50 per cent of it is still marshland," Minister Gunawardena said.

The false information arrived by some media that the residents of the area will be inconvenienced by new security arrangements appears to be mischievously conceived to deceive the public, the Minister said in a news release issued yesterday.

The release: "There have been several malevolent reports in the media about the land allocated to President Kumaratunga by a Cabinet decision. These reports in certain newspapers range from a plan to declare a 10 acre high security zone around the area to the foundation for the residence she proposes to build being laid at state cost.

These reports are totally false and designed to mislead. The plot of land allocated to President Kumaratunga's proposed private residence is not the same land earmarked for the official residence of the Head of State.

A policy decision to develop Sri Jayawardenapura, Kotte as the National Capital was made in 1985. The overall plan includes the release of Fort, the commercial and financial centre of capital city from high security buildings and premises. The Plan envisages the relocation of the Presidential Secretariat in Fort, the Prime Minister's residence and the Speaker's residence, as well as the Government establishments situated in Colombo City Centre.

The sites have already been identified and part away prepared for this purpose under the pre-1994 UNP Government.

President Kumaratunga agreed to the plan only on the basis that the valuable blocks of land presently occupied by the Government establishments in Colombo City Centre could sold for re-development at high price, which could cover the entire cost of construction of the new Presidential residence, offices, the Speaker's residence and the Prime Minister's residence.

A new museum for Sri Lankan history was to be established at the Presidential Secretariat (the old Parliament).

The Treasury was to only allocate an advance which would be recovered after the relocation of the said buildings and the sale of the premises. This would have had the following advantages:

1. To liberate the heart of the commercial and financial hub of the country namely, Fort and Kollupitiya areas for unhindered activity, as well as for new developments essential for the economy.

2. The new Colombo Urban development Plan formulated under the guidance of President Kumaratunga in the mid 90's envisaged a renovation of the historic buildings of great architectural value in the Fort, as well as development of the roads and the streets in this area, including the development of pavements, walkways and planting of trees and greening of the area.

3. This was considered important as the Fort is probably the only area in Colombo that still contains a considerable number of ancient buildings, as most other beautiful and valuable houses and architectural monuments have been permitted to be demolished by successive governments.

4. The Cabinet also considered the fact that President Kumaratunga is and will continue to be a prime target of the enemies of peace, due to untiring efforts to resolve the ethnic problem in a manner beneficial to all communities living in Sri Lanka and to restore national unity and peace. The security aspects of the location of the land were evidently taken into consideration and a block of land within an already existing high security zone was allocated to her."