Kataragama pilgrims fleeced

M. Nelson Piyaratne - Kataragama Group

Rooms of some pilgrims rests belonging to Government and some charity organizations are rented out for exorbitant fares.

These pilgrim rests have been constructed in the Kataragama town to give accommodation to the pilgrims at cheaper rates.

A room in these pilgrims rests are usually between Rs 500 to 600 whereas a room is about Rs 1,000 in private pilgrims rests for a day.

Some employees in these rests tell pilgrims that rooms are booked or occupied, specially in weekends when more pilgrims arrive at Kataragama.

Under the pretext of non availability of rooms they keep two or three rooms to be given for higher prices through brokers.

They cheat pilgrims and charge them more than Rs 1,000 for a room for a day.