Southern Expressway service area leased for Rs. 10,000 for 99-years: Bimal

Saturday, 21 June 2025 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Asserts as Southern Expressway was first of its kind in country, initial designs and feasibility studies were vulnerable to alterations
Claims billions of rupees have been wasted through this project
Alleges interchanges were added to facilitate easy access to politicians

In a startling revelation made in Parliament, Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation Minister Bimal Rathnayake yesterday alleged that the service area of the Southern Expressway was leased for a mere Rs. 10,000 for a 99-year period during the tenure of the Rajapaksa administration.

Addressing the House, he asserted that because the Southern Expressway was the first of its kind in the country, initial designs and feasibility studies were vulnerable to alterations, many of which he claimed were made by officials aligned with Rajapaksa for personal or political gain.

Minister’s revelations came in response to questions raised by Opposition MPs Rohitha Abeygunawardena and Ajith P. Perera.

Rathnayake claimed that key associated linked to the Rajapaksa not only benefitted from the undervalued leader agreements, but also actively obstructed the development of other officially approved service areas along the expressway.

“There were several discrepancies during the contraction of the Sothern Expressway with many decisions going against the original feasibility studies. Billions of rupees have been wasted through this project,” he charged, citing what he describes as politically motivated interference is one of the country’s largest infrastructure projects.

Among the irregularities, he pointed to the construction of two expressway interchanges, Kapuduwa and Bedigama which he said were not part of the original expressway design to facilitate east access to politicians.

“Kapuduwa interchange, located just 5 kilometres from Godagama in Matara facilitates travel only to and from Colombo, while Bedigama interchange is 6 kilometres away from Beliatta. Both of these were included due to political influence of the regime at the time,” he added.

According to the Minister, each interchange cost the State over Rs. 1 billion or a normal one at least Rs. 600 million.

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