Former minister suggests protesters should pay for expressway delays
Posted on January 19th, 2026
Courtesy Hiru News
Delays in the construction of the Central Expressway, caused by protests over a “Crudia zeylanica” (Pandu Karanda) tree, caused significant economic damage to the country, according to former Transport and Highways Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardena.
He stated that it is fair to recover these financial losses from those who led and participated in the demonstrations.
The former Minister made these remarks as the Chinese construction firm involved in the project reportedly demanded $980 million in compensation due to the work stoppage.
Gunawardena noted that environmentalists, including officer Devani Jayathilaka and various mass organizations, created a situation where the tree could not be removed, despite no official records labeling it the rarest plant in Sri Lanka.
To resolve the deadlock and continue the expressway legally, Gunawardena submitted a cabinet paper which received approval.
Following this, he instructed officials to remove the tree, an operation completed overnight to ensure construction could proceed. He argued that neither the Ministry of Highways, the Ministry of Transport, nor the Road Development Authority should be held responsible for the current compensation claims.
Instead, the former Minister suggested that a formal investigation should identify the protest leaders, including Devani Jayathilaka, and legal action should be taken to recover the damages from them. He also drew parallels to the Port City project, claiming that opposition from the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) led to a $1.5$-year delay, resulting in the government paying substantial compensation at that time as well.