An apparent tug-of-war between two Cabinet Ministers has led to the collapse of efforts to give a new look to the dilapidated children’s park at the Maligawatte Flats, residents complained.

Early this month, CWC leader and Minister Arumugam Thondaman, on a request made by CWC organizer for Colombo, Miss Rohini Devi visited the Maligawatte Flats to distribute sewing machines and also granted Rs. 600,000 towards the reconstruction of the children’s park.

National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) General Manager W. L. G. Vasantha Wijeratne had even issued the letter authorizing the reconstruction of the park on a request made by Minister Thondaman.

On September 14, the residents had collected Rs 6,000 to pay the workmen hired to clear the park overgrown with shrubs and weeds. However, within ten minutes, the shocked residents were asked to stop all work in this connection as Maligawatte is the turf of Minister of Petroleum Resources and SLFP Organizer for Colombo Central A. H. M. Fowzie.

Even the members of the Maligawatte Community Police Service welcomed the move to breathe new life into the park as it had remained in a sate of neglect for almost a decade. This had led to drug addicts and other shady elements haunting it.

A plan by a key SLFP activist to construct a milk outlet close to the park has also been shelved, residents said.

Residents say it defies belief that a service-oriented project towards the community, especially small children, can be halted in this manner just because the area is considered the ‘turf of somebody else’.