China increases involvement in Sri Lanka, undertakes Northern Expressway project
- Friday, 07 March 2014
China in a bid to deepen its involvement in
Sri Lanka’s infrastructure development is to assign state-run China Merchant’s Group to build a US$ 1 billion Northern Expressway.
Xinhua has reported that the northern expressway is considered to be the largest highway project embarked upon by the Sri Lankan government to date, aimed at linking the former war torn north through the tourist hot spot of Kandy to capital Colombo. When completed, the highway is expected to be about 300 km in length.
Construction of the first phase of about 48 km is expected to begin in August and will be done under the Build Own Transfer (BOT) system, Highways Ministry Secretary Ranjith Premasiri has told Xinhua.
“The feasibility study has been completed and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with the company. We are discussing details of tax holidays and land allocation presently,” he has added.
It was earlier reported that the construction of the first 100 km of the Northern Expressway was awarded to two China Merchant group companies, China Merchant Holdings International (CMHI) and China Merchant Huajin.
The venture was earlier reported to be funded by China Development Bank. The first phase stretch will have five interchanges, 50 overpasses and 30 underpasses.
CMHI are also in charge of a 500-million-U.S. dollar expansion of the Colombo harbor, which is also under the BOT system.
The first phase is estimated to cost 1 billion U.S. dollars and will take a minimum of 18 months to complete, he added.
- Friday, 07 March 2014
China in a bid to deepen its involvement in Grama Seva Niladhari and Police Sergeant arrested for taking bribes
March 7, 2014
The Tissamarahama Grama Seva Niladhari was arrested by the Bribery Commission along with a Police Sergeant attached to the Peradeniya Police after soliciting bribes.
The Tissamaraha, Keliyapura, No 91 Grama Seva Niladhari was arrested while attempting to take a bribe of Rs.25,000 in return for approving an electricity connection for a resident. He had requested a bribe of Rs.50,000 and was arrested while taking Rs.25,000 from the resident yesterday (March 6).
The Police Sergeant was arrested after taking a Rs.2000 bribe for not implementing the law against an unregistered lorry. The Policeman had demanded a Rs.4000 bribe and was arrested while taking a portion of the bribe.