I feel sad about the port constructed with goodwill being sold -- Mahinda Rajapaksa
Former President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa has called for a special media discussion at Carlton House in Tangalla about the Port of Hambantota being leased out to China.
This is what he said: "I believe that great hopes of my father, my father's brother and people like Ananda, Kularatna of the United National Party had to build this port. So we built the port which was said could not be built. For this, nothing was taken from government funds to be paid back. Even the
loan was paid back from what was earned from the Ports Authority. But now this has been sold. The port built up with devotion; feel a lot sad about people's aspirations. They say that they did not sell ... given on a 99 year lease. You know, that during within this period of 99 years of land tax how many generations lived! This is something which was to be owned by people and the offspring of our land. Before this, Mr. J.R. Jayawardene signed the Indo-Ceylon Agreement also on a 29th July like this. This date is malefic to Sri Lanka.So after signing, we still suffer. Even today we are being battered. It was in this month of 29th in eighty seven that this Agreement was signed. At that time it was with India and today with a company from China. In the same way once again J.R.'s grandson now gets together in unison with President getting round Sri Lanka Freedom Party and having made agreements, has sold this. We always expressed protest about an asset of the public of this country being lost.
If necessary the port could be made to run, if properly executed. If there is a necessity the port could even be closed. A programme to develop this could be launched. But now it has been given to a foreign company. The government has a severe grudge against Mattala Airport. It is a grudge and jealousy that operates with the Hambantota people. Planes came to Mattala Airport. People in this location know about it. Every country should have 2 airports. Soon after coming to power what was done was to make Mattala a paddy-storing warehouse. It was made a paddy-storeroom where paddy was stored and having disparaged and destroyed it, then closed it up. That is what this government did. Now after having closed it, sells it saying it is of no use ... that it is something that has no aeroplanes. Who is it that stopped planes coming to the airport? The airport and the port was not made solely for people in Hambatota ... for the entire country. This is an asset which the whole country lost. A very malefic time has dawned on the land".
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