report in The Island, Oct 30, 2023
Urban Development and Housing Minister Prasanna Ranatunga has warned that the two housing projects funded by China for the benefit of low income families could be jeopardised over a continuing dispute between the Colombo Municipal Council and the Urban Development Authority (UDA).
According to a spokesperson for the Urban Development and Housing Ministry, the Chief Government Whip has directed the CMC and the UDA to resolve their differences soon to pave the way for the project to be launched. The warning has been issued at a meeting at the Urban Development and Housing Ministry chaired by Minister Ranatunga.
China has pledged Yuan 552 mn for the construction of 1996 housing units in two large blocks of land that previously belonged to the CMC that were taken over by the UDA in 2019 and at Peliyagoda, Dematagoda, Maharagama and Moratuwa.
Of the total number of housing units, 500 were to be built in the two disputed blocks of land. The spokesperson said that China has advised the relevant parties to settle differences to facilitate the launch of the project. According to the official, the CMC has initiated legal action against the UDA over the 2019 takeover.
https://island.lk/chinese-funded-housing-project-in-jeopardy-over-dispute-between-cmc-and-uda/
