12 Kalpitiya islets go to tourists

Twelve of fourteen islets off Kalpitiya are to be leased out for tourism development projects, Deputy Economic Development Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena told the Sunday Times yesterday. He said the aim was to build resorts and luxury hotels and provide other facilities to the tourists to the islets. He said the islets would be leased out to investors for periods ranging from 30 to 99 years. The minister said he hoped to visit the islets tomorrow with some of the prospective investors to assure villagers and fisher folk that their livelihood would not be affected. http://www.sundaytimes.lk/110807/News/nws_05.html