Cabinet approves recommencement of Colombo Light Rail Transit project

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The Cabinet of Ministers had granted approval for recommence the Colombo Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, which was abandoned during the tenure of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Cabinet spokesperson Minister Bandula Gunawardena said yesterday at the post-Cabinet press conference.

The decision to revive the LRT project had been made ahead of President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s recent official visit to Japan, he said.

This move was aimed at restoring Sri Lanka’s credibility within the international community, Gunawardena said, adding that Japan had been providing substantial assistance to Sri Lanka during its time of crisis.

However, the discontinuation of certain projects had damaged the bilateral relations between the two nations to some extent, he said.

Gunawardena added that President Wickremesinghe’s visit was aimed at addressing those issues and repairing the damaged Sri Lanka-Japan bilateral relations.