Harsha says WB must stick to original plan of Metro Colombo Urban Development project in Kotte

The United National Party (UNP) yesterday appealed to the World Bank to refrain from deviating from the original objectives of the $ 213 million Metro Colombo Urban Development Project (MCUDP) loan due to pressure from Government politicians to shift the funds based on political preferences.  

UNP National List Legislator and the Party’s Chief Organiser for Kotte Dr. Harsha De Silva urged that the proceeds of the loan were primarily for flood control within the Sri Jayawardenepura-Kotte Municipal Council area.  

Touring the areas where some US$ 10 million World Bank funds are to be allocated yesterday, Dr. de Silva met with residents to discuss priorities for the development loan given the broad objective of the project in reducing flooding.  

He said that project funds were to be used to rehabilitate selected urban roads and their drainage infrastructures within the Kotte Municipal Council area. “However, we understand that the Mayor of Kotte is attempting to divert all funds to carpet a list of roads purely on political considerations, ignoring the actual needs of the community,” UNP MP claimed.

Harsha...

He said he had also visited a group of 16 families that were to be evicted at the edge of the proposed development of the ‘Beddagana Park’ using proceeds of the World Bank loan.

“While we welcome the creation of green spaces for citizens to enjoy the environment, we also need to consider the poor residents who are to be removed from their homes. Even though the World Bank says that the park boundary would skirt the settlement of the 16 families and they therefore would not be evicted, we do not for a moment believe that will be the case.  The Urban Development Authority will certainly bulldoze this settlement as it would under no circumstances keep this ‘eyesore’ next to the boardwalks and cycle tracks,” he said.

De Silva urged the World Bank to stick to its undertaking that “no person affected by the MCUDP shall be ejected from his/her residence or business irrespective of possession status without, if eligible, being provided with appropriate resettlement and rehabilitation assistance as spelt out in the Entitlement Matrix”.

“We do not expect the World Bank to provide the feeble excuse that the park projects would ‘go round’ the settlement,” he added.

According to the Opposition MP, the World Bank was to have joined the Leader of the Opposition of the Kotte Municipal Council Sugath Appuhamy and Municipal Councillors Jayantha Hemasisri, Chinthaka Udayashantha and Ranil Saman Kumara and himself on the field visit, but pulled out at the last minute.

“However we hope the World Bank team would seriously reconsider undertaking a field visit and a series of consultations with the residents of the area at the earliest possible opportunity to understand the real development issues of the people as opposed to what the political hierarchy is proposing,” De Silva said.

The UNP MP added that they would do their best to ensure the loan proceeds are used for the objective of the project and not misused by the political hierarchy for their personal and political benefit.