The Cabinet gave approval to remove a construction company named ‘Olympus’ affiliated to former UNP Minister Daya Gamage from the construction of the Second Phase of the Central Expressway for their deliberate delay amounting to sabotage, Chief Government Whip Highways Minister Johnston Fernando said.
“The previous government awarded construction contracts to cronies in its Cabinet. A construction company owned by former minister Gamage was awarded the contract to construct the second phase of the Central Expressway from Meerigama to Pothuhera. The company kept delaying its work and the ministry had repeatedly requested them to complete their work but to no avail. We instructed them to expedite construction of this section. However, they continued to delay construction work. We cannot open the section from Mirigama to Kurunegala without completing the construction of that section” he said.
Minister Fernando said that even though an additional sum had been paid the company delayed the construction process. After this approval we can terminate the contract awarded to Olympus company owned by the former minister for deliberately sabotaging the Expressway constructions, he added.
As per the terms of the contract between the ministry and the company, the ministry has very few options when the company deliberately delays the process, the minister said. “One of them is to institute legal action against the company for breach of contract. It seemed that was their intention to get us file a case so that nothing would progress till the court process would be over. It is so unfortunate when they try to achieve their political objectives at the cost of development of the country. Now the cabinet has given approval to remove Daya Gamage’s company, we have no further obstructions and hope to complete the work on time,” the minister said.
