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November 30, 2003 Daily News, Sri Lanka
Plans to Construct Domestic Airport at Pallekelle Plans are afoot for the construction of an airport for Kandy for domestic flights and this will be located at Pallekelle close to the Board of Investments and the Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium. Minister of Central Region Development, Tissa Attanayake went on an inspection tour this week to identify potential sites for this facility in the company of ministry officials. Chief Executive Officer of the Central Region of Investment, H. C. Peiris, Director, Gamini Munasinghe and Director Civil Aviation, H. Rajapakse and many others. Minister Attanayake said that under the programme of 'Regaining Sri Lanka' plans are afoot for the construction of several airports for domestic flights and one of them are scheduled to be constructed in the Kandy district to cater to the local and foreign tourists and also to provide a quicker mode of transport for the investors. This will also accelerate the development of the area. Minister Attanayake said that there is a lot of unemployment and this must be solved through investment on new projects and by developing the area. Poverty in this area is much higher than in other areas and a remedy must be found for this. One of the major obstacles in setting up employment generating projects is that the investors complain of the long time taken to travel from Colombo to Kandy and Pallekelle due to the traffic congestion on the highways. This could be overcome by the construction of an airport for domestic travel. He said that on this inspection tour several sites for setting up an airport has been identified and the officials of the Civil Aviation Department will make a feasibility study of them before arriving at a final decision. Thereafter action will be taken to obtain the release of the land identified for this facility. He made a plea to the owners of the land to release same in the national interest for the development of the area.
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