By: Staff Writer
Colombo (LNW): Plans are underway to sell 82 acre Nuwara Eliya Racecourse to a leading sports club as its present management is not in a position to spend a colossal sum of money for upkeep work.
Sugathadasa National Sports Complex Authority was responsible for the maintenance of the Race Course in terms of a Memorandum of Understanding signed on 15 August, 2012.
An agreement has been signed in 2015 to be applicable for a period of 02 years for the sports activities of the Nuwara Eliya Horse Racing Club. That is to pay 02 lakhs per month. Along with that, another deposit of 20 lakh rupees has been kept.
The racing club has not paid their dues during the period of 2018 to 2023 and there is an attempt to transfer the Nuwara Eliya Racecourse to the Nuwara Eliya Divisional Secretary and sell it to the owner of the Turf club , who is in debt to the Sugathadasa authority.
The Central Employees Union of the Sugathadasa Sports Complex has alleged that plans were underway to sell the 82 acre Race Course in Nuwara Eliya.General Secretary of the Union, N. G. Karunatilleke, said that they were concerned as the Sugathadasa National Sports Complex Authority was responsible for the maintenance of the Race Course in terms of a Memorandum of Understanding signed on 15 August, 2012.
In a statement issued to the media, the Union said that the livelihood of 11 workers, assigned for maintenance work, and other activities which brought income, was now at risk.
The Union alleged that the administration had failed to collect what was owed in terms of the agreement with the Royal Turf Club, in terms of an agreement finalised in 2015, with the intervention of the Sports Ministry. The Union alleged that those who wanted to sell the property wanted to depict the enterprise as a loss-making operation.
The Sugathadasa Sports Complex Employees Association has disclosed that there is a plan to sell the 32 acres of horse racing land belonging to the Ministry of Sports in Nuwara Eliya city center.
It is said that the authority has earned income annually by conducting stable festivals held at horse racing grounds for these activities. An agreement has been signed in 2015 to be applicable for a period of 02 years for the sports activities of the Nuwara Eliya Horse Racing Club. That is to pay 02 lakhs per month. Along with that, another deposit of 20 lakh rupees has been kept, says Sugathadasa Sports Complex Employees Union.
