The parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has identified a move to shift the National Lotteries Board (NLB) to Hambantota from its present location in Colombo, Parliament was informed yesterday.
NLB officials had confirmed this to the COPE at a meeting held recently. UNP MPs Dayasiri Jayasekara, Ravi Karunanayake, Eran Wickramaratne and JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti were present at the meeting.
Mr. Jayasekara raised the issue in the House and said NLB employees would have problems with travelling and accommodation if the office shifted to Hambantota.
“How can they commute the long distance between Hambantota and Colombo,” he asked.
The government has planned to covert Hambantota into a major industrial hub. An airport and a port have been set up with some analysts viewing it as a programme of induced development.
Deputy Finance Minister Sarath Amunugama did not deny or confirm any move to shift the NLB. He said the NLB had 284 permanent employees with 33 employed on a contract basis.
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