furious President slams SLC lethargy
Cricket officials lambasted for sleeping on job to finish construction of stadium in Kalutara
By Channaka de Silva
President Mahinda Rajapakse who visited Kalutara on Monday has reportedly been furious with the lethargic Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) interim committee officials for neglecting the construction of the international cricket ground at the Surrey Village in Maggona, and had ordered Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge to expedite the matters.
SLC were due to finish the construction of the ground in August 2007, but have not even been able to finish the planting of grass in the outfield.
The President, who had visited the ground site last year to monitor the progress and given SLC instructions to speed things up, had been shocked on Monday to learn that his instructions had been ignored and work on the facility not completed.
Following the opening of the Football ground, the President had promised in his address to the people of Kalutara to give them an international cricket ground very shortly in addition to the international football ground they had just received.
Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardene had thanked football official Manilal Fernando for building an international stadium in such a short period of time and had ridiculed SLC for failing to even plant grass at the stadium more than two years after the scheduled date of finishing.
Sports Minister Lokuge who summoned SLC officials for an emergency meeting on Monday evening had also slammed their lethargy.
SLC officials will now visit the Maggona ground this week on the Minister’s orders to decide whether they are capable of finishing the construction or not.
SLC has been instructed by Minister Lokuge to hand over the ground to Minister Abeygunawardene to complete the work if they (SLC) are unable to finish its construction.
Planting grass on the outfield was estimated to cost Rs. 2.8 million, and SLC who failed to do the job on time however have already spent more than three million rupees just to maintain the facility, according to sources.
Sources added that Paul Sheldon, Chairman of English county Surrey which pumped in over Rs. 100 million for the housing project and the ground following the 2004 tsunami was very disappointed with SLC for failing to come up with three million rupees and complete the project.
Cricket officials lambasted for sleeping on job to finish construction of stadium in Kalutara
By Channaka de Silva
President Mahinda Rajapakse who visited Kalutara on Monday has reportedly been furious with the lethargic Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) interim committee officials for neglecting the construction of the international cricket ground at the Surrey Village in Maggona, and had ordered Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge to expedite the matters.
SLC were due to finish the construction of the ground in August 2007, but have not even been able to finish the planting of grass in the outfield.
The President, who had visited the ground site last year to monitor the progress and given SLC instructions to speed things up, had been shocked on Monday to learn that his instructions had been ignored and work on the facility not completed.
Following the opening of the Football ground, the President had promised in his address to the people of Kalutara to give them an international cricket ground very shortly in addition to the international football ground they had just received.
Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardene had thanked football official Manilal Fernando for building an international stadium in such a short period of time and had ridiculed SLC for failing to even plant grass at the stadium more than two years after the scheduled date of finishing.
Sports Minister Lokuge who summoned SLC officials for an emergency meeting on Monday evening had also slammed their lethargy.
SLC officials will now visit the Maggona ground this week on the Minister’s orders to decide whether they are capable of finishing the construction or not.
SLC has been instructed by Minister Lokuge to hand over the ground to Minister Abeygunawardene to complete the work if they (SLC) are unable to finish its construction.
Planting grass on the outfield was estimated to cost Rs. 2.8 million, and SLC who failed to do the job on time however have already spent more than three million rupees just to maintain the facility, according to sources.
Sources added that Paul Sheldon, Chairman of English county Surrey which pumped in over Rs. 100 million for the housing project and the ground following the 2004 tsunami was very disappointed with SLC for failing to come up with three million rupees and complete the project.
