The preliminary work of the Phase 1 from Kadawatha to Ambepussa (48km) of the 98km Colombo-Kandy Expressway (C-KEX) has commenced with a team of surveyors that the RDA has deployed to survey the land for the proposed route. The survey work is expected to be completed by early next year. C-KEX will extend from Kadawatha north-east of Colombo to north of Kandy Katugastota. The current design is for a four-lane highway for the first 48km from Kadawatha to Ambepussa and a two lane highway of 50km from Ambepussa to Katugastota. The two-lane road is a cost cutting measure.Even so the traffic volume may not make it viable for a private investor. Analysts note that people of Kandy would derive almost no benefit from a C-KEX that stops at Ambepussa. Read More>>

The Kandy Municipal Commissioner Mr W R Wimalasiri in a report submitted to the Kandy Mayor L B Aluvihare states that some key errors in the minutes of a meeting that was held last April that President Mahinda Rajapakse chaired to discuss the KMC car park and Kandy traffic issue is holding back the Council from taking vital follow up action to carry out key decisions that were taken at the meeting.

The minutes state that the KMC car park contractor owes the KMC Rs 2.8m whereas the actual amount, the Commissioner points out, is Rs 40m. The minutes also state that the KMC and the contractor agreed to withdraw the court cases that the two parties had filed against each other. The Commissioner notes that only the contractor had filed a court case. Thus the question of KMC withdrawing a court case does not arise.

Commissioner Wimalasiri in his report states that the under a presidential directive the KMC is to write to the contractor demanding the immediate payment of the Rs 40m in lease money that is overdue. However, he says that he is unable to do so until the minutes are corrected. He has also informed the mayor that the presidential secretariat has not responded to date to a request that he had made in writing over three months ago to amend the minutes.

The Commissioner's report to the mayor notes that the KMC is facing a major cash shortage owing to the car park contractor defaulting on the lease payment.

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