Sri Lanka’s infrastructure development drive has suffered another blow, with a parliamentary oversight committee revealing that the long-delayed Kelani Valley Railway Line Project made virtually no progress in 2024 despite receiving Rs. 250 million in public funds. The finding raises serious concerns over chronic inefficiency in state institutions and casts doubt over whether the Rs. 840 million allocated for 2025 will also go unused.
According to the Parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee on Infrastructure and Strategic Development, officials from the Department of Railways failed to show any meaningful physical advancement when questioned. The Committee’s report, issued through the Parliament Secretariat, notes that the project’s performance represents not just administrative weakness but a systemic failure in the public sector’s ability to execute priority national projects.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has already voiced frustration at the sluggish state of infrastructure implementation, repeatedly asking why agencies fail to deliver despite receiving the required funds. The Kelani Valley Railway Line intended to modernise a vital commuter corridor—has now become a symbol of stalled development.
Committee members warn that without a detailed, time-bound execution plan, even the Rs. 1 billion total allocation will be of little use. “Targets will never be met unless institutions come with clear deliverables and deadlines,” the Committee observed, signalling that Parliament is losing patience with vague explanations.
The situation is not limited to one project. The Committee also scrutinised the Thambuttegama Railway Station Development Project, where officials again failed to provide satisfactory technical or financial justification. The repeated inability of agencies to present coherent data or progress updates suggests deeper structural issues ranging from poor project management capacity to weak accountability systems.
Chaired by SJB MP S.M. Marikkar, the Committee examined progress across key ministries: Energy; Ports, Shipping and Civil Aviation; Housing, Construction and Water Supply; and Transport, Highways and Urban Development. Across these sectors, members identified a recurring pattern delays, incomplete data, and lack of coordination. Institutions were instructed to return with actionable plans rather than “generic technical narratives” that fail to answer fundamental questions on timelines and outcomes.
The Committee has summoned the Department of Railways, Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB), and other agencies for a follow-up appearance, demanding accurate progress reports and updated implementation plans. The SLTB’s slow bus procurement process, delayed rural bridge construction, and overdue maintenance of Colombo apartment complexes under the UDA were also flagged as areas of concern.
The Ports Authority was directed to table its long-pending report on turning Galle Port into a financially viable operation another case where bureaucratic inertia has stalled decision-making.
Not all agencies performed poorly. The National Water Supply and Drainage Board was singled out for previous strong performance, highlighting that some institutions still meet expected standards when proper planning, leadership, and accountability structures are in place.The broader implications, however, are clear: Sri Lanka’s development agenda risks derailment not due to lack of funding, but due to entrenched public-sector inefficiency. Unless ministries adopt modern project management practices and enforce strict timelines, billions in taxpayer money will continue to be allocated but not actually spent on the people it is meant to serve
