Chanaka Bandarage

One of the most magnificent buildings in Sri Lanka is the Nuwara Eliya Post Office, built by the British in 1894. It is a Tudor Style, 2 storied building with a clock spire. It’s reddish walls and the roof, along with the immaculately maintained large lawn adds much colour to the  already grandiose  Nuwara Eliya town.

This is considered the oldest functioning Post Office of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Postal Department has maintained it well thus far.

The Nuwara Eliya Post Office is a big tourist attraction. It is one of the main Instagram hotspots in Sri Lanka, not 2^nd to the Ella 9 arch bridge

It is stated that the Britishers include Sri Lanka as a travel destination because they want to view this splendid  building.

One British traveler has commented on Social Media about the Post Office – ‘Buildings and park very English. Lovely feeling, of all is right with the world. Visited February 2020’.

Another Britisher wrote – ‘A slice of the United Kingdom is in this post office which contains the original parts of an old post office. It is one of the iconic sites of Nuwara Eliya’.

Tourists both international and local flock to this place not just to admire the marvel of the building, but also to view its interior. It is a busy, well run Post Office.  Visitors get to see its colonial internal layout as well as the postal staff working. It is an exciting experience for them.

But, now the government wants to give away this building (on a long lease) to a private entrepreneur – to set up a hotel!

Who is this lucky person? We, the citizens have a right to know.

Did he win it through a formal tender process? We, citizens have a right to know.

The government states that the Post Office (that has existed for over 125 years)  must be shut down and moved to a different location within 7 days of last Sunday 5/11/23!

Why is the major hurry? We, the citizens have a right to know.

Can such a busy post office be moved out from its location within such a short time? We, the citizens have a right to know.

It appears that Mr SB Dissanayake is very keen on the idea. He has a duty to provide us, the citizens, with full information about the business dealing.

This is a public property – a National Heritage; not a property of his own.

What will Sri Lanka gain from this? We, the citizens have a right to know.

How much will the government get to its coffers, and when? We, the citizens have a right to know.

Has not the government any other ways to raise few lakhs of rupees than selling the Nuwara Eliya Post Office? We, the citizens have a right to know.

We say Sri Lanka will be a big loser in tourism terms.

Furthermore, it will be the denial of another valuable public asset to future generations.

All citizens must rally round against the idea to ‘kill’ the Nuwara Eliya Post Office.

The public ask the government to maintain the status quo.

Again, this is not a property that should be handed to a private individual on a platter.

It is a property too much of importance and significance to the country.

This unwise decision will harm the touristic value of the property.  As stated before, people not only want to see the outside of the building but also inside. They can freely do this only if the building remains as the Post Office.

Once the building is converted to a hotel (if that ever happens after the handover), its internal layout will be changed forever. Only very few – the rich, will have access to the building.

The government must reconsider its wrong decision. 

The Postal Department has maintained this building for well over 125 years, it must be assigned the task to maintain if for further 125 years – in the best interests of the country.