Come what may, Kandy Expressway will be built – Kiriella

Sate Enterprise and Kandy Development Minister and Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella said, in Kandy yesterday (11), that the Kandy-Colombo Expressway would be built as planned despite objections raised by those through jealousy and hatred.

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Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe had given an assurance to help him to complete construction of the expressway as planned, Minister Kiriella said, laying the foundation stone for the Rs. 600 million three-storeyed auditorium of the D. S. Senanayake Public Library of the Kandy Municipal Council.

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“But some out of jealousy and hatred are objecting to the project that will be very convenient far those who come to worship the Sacred Tooth Relic and return to Colombo fast,” Minister Kiriella noted.

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He said the new expressway would not help reduce travel time but also increase land value, which would go up by at least 500 percent..

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Over 25,000 acres of land had been acquired for the expressway project, said Minister Kiriella, advising the Kandy mayor to insure the new building.

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The old auditorium destroyed by a fire had not been insured.

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Mayor of Kandy Kesara D. Senanayake said that the new auditorium was of immense benefit to the people of Kandy. It had three floors, each having seating capacity for 750 persons.

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Mayor Senanayake said that Minister Lakshman Kiriella who was the Minister for Development of Kandy would extend his support for the construction of the much-needed auditorium of the D. S. Senanayake Public Library which was opened by his late father, who was mayor of Kandy in the early 1950s and later rose to the position of Provincial Governor.

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Chief Minister Central Province Sarath Ekanayake and Municipal Commissioner of Kandy Chandana Tennakoon also spoke.