Hambantota District MP Hon. Namal Rajapaksa and several newly appointed members of the new parliament made an exclusive inspection visit at the Port of Colombo on 07th May 2010. The visit also became the first ever occasion a group of  MPs visited the port for an inspection tour. Deputy Ministers of Port and Aviation Hon. Dayasritha Thisera and Hon. Rohitha Abegunawardhna also participated at the occasion.  

The MPs paid a special attention at the on going constructions at the Colombo Port Expansion Project (CPEP) launched by Sri Lanka Ports authority (SLPA) at a cost of 425 million US dollars. Chairman of SLPA Dr. Priyath B.Wickrama made special clarifications of the on going constructions at the CPEP.  

The members of parliament also paid a visit at the Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) and the JCT Control Room as well as several other important premises at SLPA. At the inspection tour  MP Hon. Namal Rajapaksa specially instructed  SL Navy to keep the Northern Entrance of the Port of Colombo open  even during the night hours. The entrance is currently opened only during the day time hours and in the near future steps will be taken to keep both port entrances open around the clock.  

Kandy District MP Hon.Dilum Amunugama, Kurunegala District MP Hon. Tharanath Basnayaka, Badulla District MP Hon.Thenuka Vidanagamage, Anuradhapura District MP Hon.Asanga Semasinghe, Secretary of the Ministry of Port and Aviation Mr. K.C.P. Ranjith De Silva, SL Navy Commander Vice Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe, Working Director of SLPA Mr.Prasanna Kalutharage, Director Technical and the Director CPEP of SLPA Mr.Janaka Kurukulasuriya and a number of higher officers also attended the occasion.
(CPRD-07052010)