The State Minister of Urban Development and Housing, Arundika Fernando has announced that he will act as an independent MP in Parliament from today.

State Minister Arundika Fernando announced his decision while making a special statement in Parliament. 

He said the decision has been taken to protect democracy and to stand up against the group that intends to destroy the nation through corruption and deceit.  

Arundika Fernando entered the Parliament as a Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna’s (SLPP) MP from the Puttalam District. (Newswire)

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The government has announced the initiation of five housing projects in Colombo City aimed at benefiting the low and middle-class population.

State Minister for Urban Development and Housing, Arundika Fernando, highlighted that President Ranil Wickremesinghe had recently secured an agreement with the Chinese Government for this purpose. 

“The five housing projects in Colombo target individuals with low and moderate incomes. This substantial undertaking is estimated to cost 350 million dollars, with a significant commitment from the Chinese Government, secured through President Ranil Wickremesinghe,” he said. 

State Minister Fernando revealed that to date, 200 million US dollars have already been received for this ambitious project, which aims to construct 2,500 houses.

He further emphasized that housing projects initiated by the Housing Development Authority, currently on hold, will be reinitiated as part of the new budget for the year 2024.

These developments were disclosed by State Minister of Urban Development and Housing, Arundika Fernando, during a news conference held at the Presidential Media Centre on Thursday (Oct 26).

“Our nation is a stunning island that boasts diverse topography, various climate zones and an abundance of natural resources. Notably, our country is rich in valuable mineral resources and is among the regions with the lowest occurrence of natural disasters globally.

“Land stands as our most precious resource and its value escalates with the growing population. Even in suburban areas, land values continue to rise. The Urban Development Authority manages a substantial amount of land, but the available information about these lands is currently insufficient. Consequently, the ministry is actively working to enhance data on land ownership.

“Moreover, the Urban Development Authority has acquired lands for various government projects, encompassing activities like urban planning and city expansion. We also possess land suitable for both domestic and foreign investments, providing opportunities for interested parties to utilize government-owned land. Once the Urban Development Authority’s data is fully digitized, anyone can access information about the lands owned by the authority,” the State Minister revealed.

He pointed out that a strong emphasis has been placed on utilizing land resources for economic gain, exemplified by valuable plots like those on McCallum Road.

Stating that these principles apply not only to Colombo but to all cities, including Kandy, Bogambara Prison and Nuwara Eliya, he further revealed that there are also plans to create new investment opportunities cantered around the Bogambara prison land.

“Thanks to the effective financial management under President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s leadership, there’s potential to revive halted projects initiated by the Housing Development Authority. We anticipate resuming these activities with the new budget for 2024,” he said.

State Minister Arundika Fernando said instances of fraud and corruption have marred certain projects, but the ministry is actively taking measures to rectify these errors.

“Simultaneously, the Lowland Development Authority is playing a significant role in flood control efforts within Colombo. Initiatives are also underway to safeguard mangroves and wetlands.

“Unfortunately, some individuals who had their lands requisitioned for flood control purposes have faced challenges, including inadequate compensation. Our aim is to rectify this situation and acquire these lands in a more systematic manner within Colombo City.

“As a ministry, we stand prepared to make the utmost contribution to President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s mission for the country’s development,” he added. (NewsWire)

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Steps will be taken to provide commercially valuable lands located in major cities in the country to investors so as to contribute to the economy, State Minister of Urban Development and Housing Arundika Fernando said.

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), the State Minister pointed out that the final notice has been given to the investors related to the resumption of the projects being carried out on the lands owned by the government in Colombo.

State Minister Fernando stated that if the investors do not take steps to complete the projects, they will be taken over by the government and given to new investors.

He expressed these views during a press conference themed ‘Collective Path to a Stable Country’ held at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC) yesterday (July 21).

Minister of Urban Development and Housing Arundika Fernando further stated; “So far, the government has given the opportunity to investors to start projects on commercially valuable land in Colombo. But due to the poor economic situation the country faced, these projects have been halted. Therefore, we have informed them in writing to restart the relevant projects. If the investors do not take a decision before the end of next month, those projects will be taken over by the government and given to new investors.

There are also properties with commercial worth in major cities, notably Colombo. It has been decided to distribute them to new investors in a way that will strengthen the economy of the country. Since taking office as President, Ranil Wickremesinghe has made a number of decisions that are in the best interests of the nation. As a result, the actions were made in an effort to boost the nation’s economy even more.”

He pointed out that currently, Hilton Hotel is a lucrative business. As a result, it has been agreed to safeguard employee rights as well as the Hilton hotel chain’s conventions and improve them in order to boost the country’s economy. Along with this, steps are being taken to transfer ownership of the Battaramulla-based Waters Edge Hotel to new investors. Additionally, a committee has been established by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to examine how these new initiatives would be carried out.

“24 coastal regions have also been designated as tourist destinations. It has also been decided to grant investors access to these tourist destinations so they can boost the national economy. New investors will be awarded temporary construction rights to those coastal zones. These zones must be formed with tourist-drawing beach activities, as in other countries.

In addition, on the advice of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, steps have already been taken to develop Colombo, Ella, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy and Trincomalee as favourable tourist attraction areas. Some projects are being implemented with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank under the intervention of government agencies including the Urban Development Authority,” he said.

State Minister of Urban Development and Housing Arundika Fernando added that, meanwhile, the construction of the Aruwakkalu Scientific Sanitary Garbage Dump under the Colombo Solid Waste Management project is scheduled to be handed over to the public by the end of January next year. (NewsWire)

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The government is to initiate action against a Chinese national who had allegedly entered Sri Lanka with a forged passport, Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles stated.

Addressing the media today, Minister Alles said that the Chinese national in question will be summoned today.

Minister Alles added that further action will be taken against the man with the consultation of the Chinese Embassy in Colombo.

It was reported that the Chinese national had arrived in Sri Lanka with a forged passport, along with a fellow Chinese national and an Egyptian last week (May 18).

Upon his passport being detected as forged by the Immigration and Emigration officers at the Katunayake airport, the group had behaved in an unruly manner due to which they had been detained to be deported.

However, it was later reported that State Minister of Urban Development and Housing Arundika Fernando had allegedly intervened after which the Chinese national had been released.

The State Minister is reported to have made a written request from the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration to allow the Chinese passenger to enter the country, claiming that he was a foreign investor.

In his letter, State Minister Arundika Fernando claimed that the Chinese national had visited Sri Lanka to invest in housing projects which are under the purview of his ministry.

According to Immigration and Emigration officials, the two Chinese nationals and the Egyptian had been released on Saturday (May 20). (NewsWire)

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