Casino Dhammika opposes monorail project!

Saturday, 06 September 2014 

Transport ministry secretary, casino businessman Dhammika Perera, has opposed the monorail project for which the foundation is to be laid once the Chinese president arrives in the country, say ministry sources.

Both the treasury and the assessment committee have approved the project, but the transport ministry is not extending the required assistance, as Dhammika Perera has been having plans to start a monorail project of his own.

The first phase of this monorail project will see a railway line built from Katunayake airport to the proposed casino zone at D.R. Wijewardena Mawatha at Colombo Fort. The sole objective of this project is not to provide better transportation for air passengers, but to ensure that international casino players reach the casino zone without delay. This project will see several monorails dismantled in Japan used to lay the railway line. The feasilibility study of the project was done by Dhammika Perera’s Vallibel Finance.

General manager of the Railway Department Ariyaratne has objected to the project due to the plan to use expired monorails. He is publicly saying that this would be a failure. This has led to the creation of a major dispute between Ariyaratne and Dhammika Perera, say ministry sources. Dhammika Perera is provoking trade unions against the general manager, and it is known at the ministry that Dhammika provides various perks for TU leaders.

Dhammika is also planning to use the UNP MPs who come to the casinos owned by him, to raise a voice in parliament against the railways general manager, add ministry sources.