Professionals to run Water’s Edge

Leading hoteliers in six member committee:

Hiran H.SENEWIRATNE

Urban Development Authority (UDA) has appointed a team of six high ranking professionals to run the Water’s Edge property.

It will continue as a banqueting and conference centre subsequent to the Supreme Court direction to cancel the lease agreement of the former company.

This team of six members was appointed yesterday following the Supreme Court direction for Water’s Edge to continue as a banqueting and conference facility with the taking over of the UDA from February 8, 2009, UDA Chairman Dr P. Ramanujam told the Daily News Business.

The Supreme Court gave the direction on Wednesday to decide on the future of the property.

The high ranking professional members of the committee are Prema Cooray (Chairman of Sri Lanka Convention Bureau), Hiran Cooray (Managing Director Jetwing Hotels), Sanjay Gardiner (Managing Director Galle Face Hotel), Ms Kimarli Fernando (Chief Executive Officer of Pan Asia Bank) Ismath Raheem (Chartered Architect) and Attorney Sudath Karunaratne.

Ramanujam who is the Chairman of the committee said the Supreme Court decision was to cancel the lease agreement with Asia Pacific Golf Course (Pvt) Limited and to continue the golf link as a water retention area. The decision also gave a ruling to appoint a committee to draft a master plan with the intervening of the employees, he said.

According to the UDA Chairman with the continuation as a banqueting and conference centre, the present employees and the management will continue with the taking over of the property on the due date.

The Supreme Court had also directed the UDA to complete the construction of canals surrounding the Water’s Edge site within two months preventing the flooding of nearby roads during rainy weather conditions. The Kotte MC, Kolonnawa UC and Kaduwela Pradeshiya Sabhas were asked to undertake the maintenance of these canals.

The court also ordered the UDA to prevent unauthorised constructions in the water retention area of the Water’s Edge site used earlier as a resort and golf club.

Chairman of Access International Sumal Perera built the Water’s Edge on a state owned property and it was subsequently transferred to the UDA from a recent Supreme Court decision.