Cabinet nod for Police HQ move to Pepiliyana

• Govt. estimates Rs.10 b for construction of new Police HQ 
• Lack of space, maintenance of departments in other rented buildings costs Rs. 25 m monthly to Govt.
• New Police HQ complex to be established on a 14-acre land belonging to Sri Lanka Police 

Cabinet this week approved a proposal to shift the Police Headquarters (HQ) from a century-old complex in Colombo Fort, to a soon-to-be-constructed complex in Pepiliyana, at a cost of Rs. 10 billion.

The Police HQ is currently maintained in three buildings that are over 100-years old in the middle of the road connecting York Street and Chaithya Road and is maintained in rented buildings by the Civil Administration Office and several other divisions due to lack of space.

“The Government had to pay up Rs. 25 million a month as rent to other buildings that were occupied to maintain departments of the Sri Lanka Police HQ due to a lack of space in the York Street building,” Co-Cabinet Spokesman Minister Udaya Gammanpila told reporters at the weekly Cabinet media briefing yesterday.

On 11 July 2012, the Cabinet had approved the construction of the Police HQ complex in Mirihana, but necessary steps were not taken. 

Under these circumstances, a 14-acre land located at No. 142, Bellantota Junction, Attidiya Road, Dehiwala on the Pepiliyana main road, which belongs to the Sri Lanka Police, has been identified as the most suitable location for the construction of the complex.

“A building extending to 842,400 sq ft will be constructed as the new Police HQ complex, with an estimated cost of Rs. 10 billion,” Gammanpila said. 

The proposal tabled by the Public Security Minister to construct the Police HQ complex in land that belongs to the Sri Lanka Police as opposed to in Mirigama, and to identify the required buildings as separate projects according to the requirements and carry out construction procurement work, has been approved by Cabinet.