Kelani Valley railway upgrade stalls despite Rs. 1 b allocation

Friday, 14 November 2025 00:23 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Kelani Valley Railway Line Project has made almost no progress despite receiving Rs. 250 million in 2024, the Parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee on Infrastructure and Strategic Development has found, warning that the Rs. 840 million allocated again in 2025 risks going unutilised without a clear implementation plan, the Parliament Secretariat said.

The Committee said funds released last year resulted in only minimal physical progress, and officials from the Department of Railways were unable to demonstrate satisfactory advancement when questioned. Members said the situation reflects inefficiency within the Department.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has repeatedly questioned officials over delayed infrastructure development projects despite the Government allocating the necessary funds.

The Committee said that without a time-bound, actionable plan, it will not be possible to achieve the targeted progress despite the Rs. 1 billion total allocation, ultimately delaying outcomes for the public.

The Committee also reviewed the Thambuttegama Railway Station Development Project and found the technical explanations provided by officials completely unsatisfactory.

Chaired by Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP S.M. Marikkar, the Committee examined the financial and physical progress of work under the following Ministries: Energy; Ports, Shipping and Civil Aviation; Housing, Construction and Water Supply; and Transport, Highways and Urban Development.

Members expressed dissatisfaction at repeated delays across multiple institutions and instructed that future appearances must include specific action plans with deadlines instead of broad technical explanations. The Committee will summon the Department of Railways, Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB), and other agencies again and directed officials to return with accurate and complete data.

The review also covered highway and rural bridge work, SLTB bus procurement, renovation of Colombo apartment buildings under the Urban Development Authority, and priorities in the energy sector. The Committee also instructed the Ports Authority to submit its pending report on making Galle Port financially viable.

The National Water Supply and Drainage Board was commended for its performance in earlier sessions.