The Urban Development Authority (UDA) said it suspended the plan to acquire a property owned by D. S. Senanayake College Colombo, in the face of severe criticism from the old boys of the school.

The UDA earlier said the proposed car park project would reduce the traffic congestion in the area and benefit the students of the school.

The UDA announced today that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had directed them to abandon the project if the school did not want it.

The proposed plan frew severe criticism from old boys of the school and other like-minded groups who described it as an attempted land grab.