In the wake of reports that several post offices of historic value are ready to be handed over for hotel projects, the Posts Department stated that only the Nuwara Eliya Post Office has officially been requested to be handed over for such a project.

There were recent media reports to the effect that post office buildings in Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Diyathalawa, and Galle are to be offered for hotel projects through the Urban Development Authority (UDA).

When contacted by The Daily Morning to inquire about the alleged preparations, Postmaster General R.P. Sathkumara denied media reports that several post office buildings are to be handed over to the UDA for hotel projects and said that it is only the Nuwara Eliya Post Office that has officially been requested for such a purpose.

“No other post office building has been requested from us. The only issue is with the Nuwara Eliya Post Office. The land on which it is located belongs to the Nuwara Eliya District Secretariat. The District Secretary has informed us to hand it over to the UDA for this project. They have also promised us that we would be provided with a suitable location to run the post office, and we have agreed to it. The UDA will be doing the rest.”

UDA Director General Prasad Ranaweera had recently told the media that the Diyathalawa and Galle post offices, built according to Dutch architecture design, would be leased out for hotel projects. The preparations to offer post offices for hotel projects, which came to light during the latest Nuwara Eliya District coordination meeting attended by President and Finance and National Policies Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, have seen criticism from several parties, including postal trade unions, political parties, and civil organisations.