Kingsley adamant on food imports
by Azhara Raban
The Minister of Internal and International Commerce and Food, Kingsley T. Wickremaratne said he would import rice and other commodities only when there is a scarcity of these goods .'My responsibility is to feed the country. It is my duty to import if there is a shortage in produce and see that there is sufficient food in the market', told 'The Island' in an interview.Commenting on the differences between Ministry of Agriculture and Lands and his Ministry, over the import of rice, Mr. Wickremaratne said that the people cannot be kept without food until sufficient supplies of rice are available.
'When there is a shortage, the demand is high and therefore supplies should also be high', he said.
The price of onions would have risen more than Rs.125 a kilo if the ministry did not import, the minister said.
Mr. Wickremaratne said that import duty on rice, onions, chillies and potatoes is 35% while there is a 5.5% National Security levy. Therefore the tax structure is 40% and it works as a buffer. When there is sufficient produce in the country, it is not worth importing. When there is a scarcity, then the produce comes cheaper to the consumers when imported. This is an automatic system which adjusts by itself, the Minister said.
'What we have is an open license on all imports so there is no restriction on rice imports as long as the tax is paid', the minister pointed out.
He said Sri Lanka has been importing rice at an average of 300,000 metric tons per year. The highest volume of rice imports was in 1958 which was 558,000 metric tons. During the 1996/1997 period too rice imports were high at more than 300,000. The reason for this, the minister explained, was because there was a severe drought during that period.
In 1995 rice imports were the lowest at 9,456 metric tons.
'The import of wheat flour which was at an average of 700,000 metric tons per year increased to 1 million in 1995 and that is because I brought down the price of wheat flour which inevitably increased the demand of wheat flour and not rice. This is the reason why the import of rice was low that year and not that the local rice production was high', the minister explained.
Earlier the Minister of Agriculture and Lands opposed Trade Ministry plans to import rice to meet the shortages in the local market. He told 'The Island' recently that he decided not to go ahead with the decision to import rice as local production is sufficient to meet the demand.
However 2000 metric tons of rice was imported from India recently amidst the differences between the two ministries on the import of rice.
Saturday Commentary
Battle plans drawn up for NWPC pollsBy Prasad Gunewardene
The Kumaratunga government held several rounds of talks with its coalition partners during the past few days to plan out strategies to capture the North Western Province, a strong political base of the United National Party. Coalition partners pledged their fullest support to President Chandrika Kumaratunga when talks were held with them at Temple Trees. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress too agreed to go with the PA in the NWPC while reserving the right to support the PA or not in the other provinces. SLMC leader Minister M. H. M. Ashraff informed the President that the party's support to the PA in the other areas would be decided at the meeting of the SLMC Supreme Council which was scheduled to meet late last evening.The United National Party is now in the process of selecting its candidates to the NWPC and a decision on the chief minister candidate is yet to be taken. UNP parliamentarians last week urged the UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to field Gamini Jayawickreme Perera, a former NWPC chief minister and a UNP MP now. Mr. Perera during his tenure as chief minister launched several development projects in the NWPC and many of them were hailed by the foreign donor agencies. He was succeeded by Mr. Nimal Bandara until the Council was dissolved. Though there is a move by UNP parliamentarians to get Mr. Perera back, party sources indicated that it was likely that Mr. Bandara would be given a second chance to try his luck to be the next chief minister of the council.
The Lalith Front which nominated its candidates under the UNP in the other councils where elections were postponed, submitted the names of four candidates for the NWPC under the UNP list. The UNP has accepted three of them while rejecting one. Meanwhile it was reported that Lalith Front leader Mrs. Srimani Athulathmudali - who is at loggerheads with her parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake who is openly going the UNP way - had a meeting on Thursday morning at Flower Terrace to decide on candidates for the NWPC in support of the government. Mr. Karunanayake claimed that some Lalith Front candidates rejected by the UNP were being encouraged by the party leadership to come in support of the government. The recent Supreme Court decision against the Provincial Councils (Special Provisions) bill appears to have strangulated the hands of Mr. Karunanayake the Lalith Front organiser for Kotte as the lists of candidates submitted to the other councils earlier cannot be changed.
The widening rift between Mrs. Athulathmudali and Mr. Karunanayake became more visible on the 62nd birth anniversary of their founder leader, the late Lalith Athulathmudali. Ravi Karunanayake in the company of Lalith's political secretary Sharmala Perera, provincial councillors and politbureau members arrived early in the morning of Lalith's birthday before the Lalith statue near Royal College to pay homage to their late leader. They paid floral tributes to Lalith and dispersed. A few minutes later Mrs. Athulathmudali, daughter Serala, Kesaralal Gunasekera and others arrived near the statue to pay their respects. By then the wreaths that were laid at the statue by the Karunanayake supporters had disappeared. When asked why the loyalists of Lalith separately paid their respects to their late leader, Karunanayake claimed that they were not invited to participate in the ceremony. Later in the day Ravi Karunanayake, Sharmala Perera and the politbureau members organised a religious ceremony in memory of Lalith at the Naga Viharaya. This was attended by the supporters of the Ravi group, opposition and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Ministers, A. H. M. Fowzie, Mahinda Rajapakse, Deputy Minister M. L. A. M. Hisbullah, PLOTE leader S. Siddharthan and some parliamentarians from the UNP and the government. The notable absentees were Mrs. Athulathmudali and Kesaralal Gunasekere. Mr. Karunanayake said that he sent invitations to both Mrs. Athulathmudali and Mr. Gunasekere to attend that religious ceremony and added that their absence at a ceremony which was non-political is a matter of regret.
The Lalith Athulathmudali commemoration oration was at Galle Face Hotel that evening where Lalith's friend, former Sri Lankan diplomat and under Secretary General of the UN (Disarmament) Mr. Jayantha Dhanapala delivered the oration. A moving commemoration song by Lalith's only child Serala moved the audience to tears.
Army links-up key towns in fresh offensive
COLOMBO, Dec. 4 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan troops have linked up three key northern towns in a fresh offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels, military officials said on Friday.
They said troops had linked up the towns of Mankulam, Oddusuddan and Nedunkerni and brought under military control some 132 square km (51 square miles) of formerly rebel held territory.
There were no immediate details of casualties and troops were consolidating positions in the newly captured areas, the officials said.
Sri Lankan troops on September 30 captured Mankulam after launching a major campaign to take a vital northern highway from the rebels in May last year.
Mankulam, the last major town on the highway, was taken a day after the rebels took command of another key town, Kilinochchi, in a battle that left some 1,692 soldiers and rebels killed or missing.
Why import food that could be grown locally?
Opposition unhappy over govt's agricultural policySeveral Opposition MP's expressed their dissatisfaction over the government's agricultural policy and also over the policy it pursues in relation to import of certain items of food which are locally produced.
UNP's Polonnaruwa district MP Rukman Senanayake said there were three Ministers to decide the destiny of the country's agriculture. Responsibility was cast also on the Trade Minister with regard to development of agriculture. It appeared to be he pointed out the Trade Ministry is devouring the local agriculture like a fox when offered chicken on a platter.
Gamini Jayawickrama Perera said the government had imported a 5000-ton rice shipment. He charged there was a big racket behind the import of food items into the country. Particularly when it comes to food that could be produced locally.
He said he wished to ask those in the government whether they remembered what they promised the masses in their election campaign. You made very big promises knowing well you just cannot honour them.
Jayawickrama Perera said that a situation had arisen that the local farmers could not sell their produce.
The government's policy of importing rice, had hit him hard and made his plight worse.
Even Vanni district's DPLF MP Y. Balendran said the potato cultivators of the North had been gravely affected as a result of the government's policy of importing food which could be locally grown.
P. Harrison UNP Anuradhapura district said that cultivators in the Mahaveli areas produced one-third of the country's requirement of food. What was their fate now?
During the chillie harvesting period the Trade Minister imported chillies at Rs. 50 per kilo. It looked like that the Agricultural Ministry was not getting any co-operation or support from the Trade ministry.
He said he wished to appeal to the Trade Ministry on behalf of the cultivators to stop importing rice. He also requested the government to employ at least agricultural graduates who were without employment, to improve the country's agriculture.
S. Sathasivam (CWC-N'Eliya, questioned the wisdom of the government's policy of importing food that could be locally produced. The government did so at a colossal expense.
Correction - Y. P. Silva SLMP leader
It was inadvertently reported in our yesterday's Late City issue that Communist Party leader had passed away. Y. P. Silva was one of the pioneers in the Communist Party but later joined the Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya (SLMP) of which he was the President at the time of his death.
We regret the error.
Tiger takes cyanide to avoid capture
by Shamindra Ferdinando
A suspected terrorist on a suicide mission, probably in Mannar committed suicide on Thursday (3) when troops attempted to capture him during an operation at Nelumwewa in the Mannar town area, a senior army officer said yesterday. Speaking to The Island from Mannar, the officer revealed that troops mounted a search operation after an unidentified gunman shot and wounded a Muslim video shop owner in the town on Wednesday night. During the operation next day troops had seen the suspect.LTTE cadres used in suicide missions are called Black Tigers and Black Sea Tigers.
'He tried to get away' the officer said adding that by the time troops managed to get hold of the suspect he had taken cyanide. He was carrying a bag containing one jacket used by Black Tigers tasked to carry out suicide attacks.
The Operational Headquarters of the Defence Ministry yesterday said that four explosive cubes with detonator cubes, one hand grenade, two batteries and some documents carried by the terrorist had been recovered.
Both the military and the police in Mannar said that a gunman had attacked the video shop owner identified as Hameed Sultan S. Saheed around 9.30 p.m. on Wednesday. The attack had prompted the police and the army to mount a cordon and search operation for the attacker. They had come across the suspect who later committed suicide around 9.30 am on Thursday, the military said.
Investigators were trying to establish the dead terrorist's identity. 'We believe that he was a member of a small group of infiltrators sent to Mannar,' police said yesterday. However authorities were also investigating the possibility of the dead terrorist trying to smuggle the suicide kit and the explosives out of Mannar.
People, both entering and leaving Mannar island are subjected to security checks. People use both Mannar-Vavuniya road and Vavuniya-Medawachchiya road to leave and enter the Mannar island, controlled by the armed forces and police.
One source said that twelve cyanide capsules were also found along with the suicide kit, explosives and other items. The LTTE had used suicide bombers regularly to assassinate military leaders, politicians and even to carry out strikes on selected military targets.
Police said that there was an increase in terrorist activity in Mannar. Two police constables including one who had been in Mannar for the past eight years were gunned down near the Mannar hospital on November 23 afternoon. They were returning after repairing a generator at an isolated police post, a senior policeman said.
Hudson Samarasinghe acquited of bigamy charge
by V. Varathasuntharam
The conviction of former UNP Minister Hudson Samarasinghe on charge of bigamy and the sentence to 2 years rigorous imprisonment was set aside by Colombo High Court Judge Titus Cooray yesterday. He was also acquitted.He had been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment by Colombo Magistrate.
The appeal which was heard in absentia of the appellant Samarasinghe was supported by President's Counsel R. I. Obeysekera.
The order stated that according to relevant document, the accused appellant had informed the real state of affairs that had existed between him and his former wife, to his new bride at least at the ceremony. Being satisfied with the explanation they had signed the document referred to and contracted the marriage between themselves.
'I see nothing wrong before the eyes of the law in contracting a second marriage.'
I must concur with the quotation of St. Paul which had been quoted by Lord Chief Justice,' It is better to marry than to burn,' the judge observed.
The case was filed initially in the Magistrate's Court following a complaint by Don Upali Ranjith alias Sotthi Upali to the Fraud Bureau.
In the Magistrate's Court Mr. Samarasinghe had been indicted with committing the offence of bigamy by contracting a second marriage with one Pathmini Perera on June 17, 1985, while the first wife Rathnathilaka was still alive.
State counsel Dhammith Thottawatte appeared for the prosecution.
President's Counsel R. I. Obeysekera with D. Pathiraja, Chinthaka Mendis, and Dudly Nissanka appeared for the appellant.
National Alliance for Peace wants govt. to respond to LTTE peace bid
The National Alliance for Peace welcomes the indication of National Alliance for Peace wants govt. to respond to LTTE peace bid
The National Alliance for Peace welcomes the indication of Prabakharan's readiness during the course of his recent speech to have peace talks with the Government. The fact that it was preceded by the release of some prisoners held by the LTTE also supports his desire for such a dialogue. The process of dialogue with the LTTE which has to be set in motion at some stage or other is an essential step in achieving a lasting peace. It would have been best if the dialogue had been preceded by some consensus between the PA and the UNP together with the other parties in the democratic stream that represent the Tamil and Muslim minorities. Though this is yet lacking, the Government should respond positively to the overtures from Prabhakaran so that the process of dialogue can be initiated in a suitable manner while taking into consideration the complexities of the situation and bearing in mind past experiences.
The UNP as the main Opposition party should be involved in this process. It would be best if the process of dialogue between the UNP and the PA aimed at reaching a consensus could be immediately set in motion. The National Alliance for Peace at its inaugural meeting identified the reaching of such a consensus as the first step in the total process of dialogue that is required between all the concerned political forces. Therefore we appeal to the UNP to respond positively to the request by the Chambers of Commerce and Industry to send a four member team to meet with the 4 members already nominated by the PA.
The way events are unfolding the two processes of dialogue may have to go ahead simultaneously but naturally at different tempoes. It is our fervent hope that all concerned will place the interest of Sri Lanka and all its people before narrow party interests.
Police suspect army corporal of supplying arms to LTTE
From Cyril Wimalasurendre
KANDY: The Central Range Special Investigation Unit (SIU) conducting inquiries into the alleged arms deal of the Lance Corporal of the Army Service Corp. who was taken into custody on Wednesday (02) now wants to ascertain whether the suspect was engaged in supplying weapons to the LTTE cadres in addition to the under-world elements.The investigating police sleuths believe that part of the ammunition recovered from a pit in the compound of the suspect's Panwila residence was removed from the Kandy army camp he was attached to.
The suspect corporal Nishantha was serving in Kandy since 1990, after joining the army in 1989.
The suspect comes from a family in Horana and is married to a woman at Panwila. He is a father of two children.
Police have arrested the suspect in a hotel in Kandy and recovered the weapons and ammunition subsequently.
Still later, the investigating police have recovered jewellery including bangles, rings and chains worth five sovereigns, sources said yesterday.
The suspect is under detention orders and investigations are conducted by S. P. Karunaratne, CI, K. M. S. Bowala OIC, SIU, SI Yatawara, SI, Rafaithu, PS Tennakoon, PS Ranaweera SP, Dias and PS Jayaratne on the directions of DIG, Sirisena Herath.
Minister Dharmasiri Senanayake, Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, in a message of condolence on behalf of party on the death of Deputy Minister of Food Y. P. de Silva states.
It is with great sense of loss we learn the passing away of Hon. Y. P. de Silva, General Secretary of the SLMP and Deputy Minister of Food.
Mr. Silva was a very senior politician who was associated with the left movement in our country which fought for the upliftment of the common man.
His vision on the ethnic issue and the contribution of his party which is a partner of the PA, working towards achieving durable peace for our land is admirable. He was associated with me for many years in public life and was my Personal Assistant in the Ceylon Tourist Board. He was a real friend, philosopher and guide.
We convey our party's condolences to his family.May he attain Nibbana.
Rajitha's complaint referred to Privileges Committee
By our Parliamentary Correspondents
Parliament yesterday approved a resolution enabling the reference to the House Privileges Committee, a question of privilege raised by United National Party's National List MP Rajitha Senaratne against the Ceylon Bank Employees Union.Rajitha Senaratne raising a question of Privileges in Parliament on November 23, said references made to him in a pamphlet by the Ceylon Bank Employees Union on October 30 was defamatory of him, a Member of Parliament.
The Bank Employees' Union by publishing the article caused breach of his privilege as a MP states the resolution.
European Commission delegation head visits Jaffna
Ambassador, Head of the European Commission delegation in Sri Lanka, Ilkka Uusitalo flew to Jaffna last week to meet with the new Security Forces Commander, Jaffna Major General Lohan Gunawardene and other senior military and civilian officers, according to a press release issued yesterday by the European Union Office, Colombo.
He returned to Colombo on Tuesday [2] after spending five days in the peninsula.
The text of the release says:
Mr. Uusitalo visited Jaffna between November 27 and December 2.
The objective of the visit was to inaugurate rural water rehabilitation schemes funded by the European Commission Huma-nitarian Office [ECHO] and implemented by the German Technical Cooperation agency GTZ. It also provided an opportunity to get first hand information on the present situation in the Jaffna peninsula and to meet with the representatives of the civil administration, security forces, international agencies and community leaders in Jaffna.
He was accompanied by Ms.Marie Spaak, representative of ECHO and Michael Nilsson, assistant advisor to the Europen Commission delegation.
Customs on Friday (4) imposed a 14 million rupee fine on a Board of Investment (BOI) company for releasing material imported to produce ready-made garments for export to the local market, a Customs spokesperson told 'The Island' yesterday.
Two factories owned by the same management company had released material worth approximately 14 million rupees to the local market a few years ago.
The spokesman said that the inquiry was initiated in late 1996 and completed yesterday. The company has been found guilty, he said, adding that the senior Customs officer who conducted the inquiry imposed the fine .
He said that there have been several cases involving BOI firms releasing material imported to produce ready-made garments for export to the local market. - (SF)
'Nearly 18% live below poverty line'
by Shakuntala Perera
Approximately eighteen percent of the population in Sri Lanka live in deprivation, below the poverty line, reveals a research study carried out by the United Nations Development Project (UNDP), according to the latest Human Development report.Dr. Harsha Athurupana, who led the research team of the Department of Economics of the University of Colombo, states the deprivation is experienced most acutely in areas such as energy infrastructure, sanitation, safe water and access to a good road network.
'There are also important deficiencies in the provision of basic health care and significant regional disparities that need correction,' he adds.
According to the study the district with the highest level of poverty in the country is Nuwara Eliya, with a recorded 31% of the population living in poverty. This rate is followed by districts like Moneragala (29%), Polonnaruwa (28%), Badulla (27%), Ratnapura ( 25%) and Kegalle (24%).
Gampaha ranks lowest in the index with only 12% of the population living in poverty and Colombo second lowest with 13% of the population living in deprivation, according to Dr. Athurupana.
He further noted that districts such as Kandy and Matara despite recording low per capita incomes perform well in human poverty terms, suggesting a relatively 'better' social and economic deprivation,
'This can be attributed to a relatively extensive electricity network and wider social provisioning to deliver access to clean water and safe sanitation,' it was noted.
Dr. Athurupana further revealed that approximately 80% of the population in districts like Nuwara Eliya, Moneragala, Kurunegala, Anuradhapura and Matara had no access to electricity.
'It is only in districts like Colombo and Gampaha that the coverage of electricity is reasonably good with 77% and 66% of coverage respectively. Such a lack of infrastructure facilities especially electricity completely wipes out any potential for development in the country.
'Some households lack the means to obtain electricity because they cannot afford the installation costs and tariff charges and others because they are located in regions that are not covered by the electricity supply network,' he noted.
These problems it was further observed could be addressed by expanding electricity coverage and improving the cost effectiveness of electricity production and distribution.
Literacy too was experienced to be low in the poverty stricken districts like Nuwara Eliya where 22% of population were illiterate while Badulla and Moneragala were 18% and 16% respectively.
'The levels of illiteracy in Nuwara Eliya, Badulla and Monaragala are high for a country like Sri Lanka where gross primary enrolment of 100% was attained nearly two decades ago.
The study recommends a strong physical infrastructure development program for which a government policy on an urban development program is cited as a 'rational strategy'.
'The development of cities, towns on a strategic plan would involve the development of electricity, the road network, communications, water supply and waste disposal facilities in a geographically concentrated area. This would be considerably more cost effective than the provision of these services to villages scattered over a large geographical area, and could be implemented more swiftly,' it was noted.
The study further recommends priority investment and policy attention in the poverty stricken districts.
Sri Lankan honoured by Royal Australian Institute of Architects
Deshabandu Surath Wickramasinghe was the first Sri Lankan to be honored by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects recently. They elected him as a Honorary Fellow of the Institute. He was honored for his eminent contributions to the Architectural profession not only in Sri Lanka but also internationally. He was officially bestowed this honour by Architect Graham Humphries, President, Royal Australian Institute of Architects during the 1998 Cairns Convention held at the Cairns Convention Centre.
Deshabandu Surath Wickramasinghe is a Chartered Architect and Chartered Town Planner by profession and was awarded National Honors 'Deshabandu' in 1990 for his outstanding contributions to the profession in Sri Lanka.
Deshabandu Surath Wickramasinghe is currently the President, Architects Regional Council Asia (ARCASIA), Vice President, Commonwealth Association of Planners, President, Institute of Town Planners, Sri Lanka, Vice President, World Union of Professions. He is also a Past President, Sri Lanka Institute of Architects and of the Organization of Professional Associations, Sri Lanka.
He is the Chairman, Surath Wickramasinghe Associates; a Multi Disciplinary Consultancy Practice with over 25 years experience, in Sri Lanka and abroad. The firm has won several Design Awards for their work awarded by the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects. Internationally, their Design Proposal for a Tourist Resort for Lankanfinolhu Islands - Maldives was selected for implementation by the Maldivian Government from an International submission.
Deshabandu Surath Wickramasinghe not only practises Architecture and Planning but contributes to extend his boundaries of knowledge. He has presented several papers on Architecture and Planning both in Sri Lanka and abroad on a variety of subjects and published several articles in the local and international journals on several important subjects covering Housing, Industry, Tourism, Urban Development, Urban Renewal and other subjects. He can be called a visionary of the professions of Architecture and Planning whose unique individuality makes him also a leading international figure.
SC holds that NSB has violated Fundamental Rights
By Chitra Weerarathne
The Supreme Court, in a Judgment on Wednesday held that the National Savings Bank had violated the Fundamental Right to equality of petitioner, Mrs. A. P. J. B. de Waas, who had been refused her second extension of service, from 7.6.97 to 6.6.98.The Bank was ordered to pay her Rs. 550,000 for the loss of service in that year and another Rs. 550,000 as loss of service had she applied for her third extension and thereafter subsequent extensions. The NSB had the practice of allowing extensions even upto the age of sixty years. Costs were ordered at Rs. 30,000 payable by the Bank.
The petitioner had held the post of Deputy General Manager of the Bank since 1.8.93. She had complained in her petition that, the Bank had been arbitrary, unreasonable and/or malicious, in refusing her second extension of service from 7.6.97 to 6.6.98. The petition had alleged a breach of Article 12 (1) of the Constitution by the respondent bank.
The Judgment added 'The Court held that the petitioner had been appointed in 1993 as Deputy General Manager, that there was no basis whatever for treating her functions as being limited to the NSB's 'Janasaviya' activities; that the decision of the Board of the NSB to refuse her second extension of service was unreasonable, arbitrary and perverse and procured by concealment and distortion of the truth. A declaration that her fundamental right under Article 12 (1) has been violated by the respondent NSB, and that she was entitled to her second extension of service with all the attendant rights and privileges.'
The judgment explained that however her second extension was due to expire on 6.6.98, and she did not make a timely application for any further extension while proceedings were pending and so she cannot be re-instated.
But nevertheless the court has to make a just and equitable order and that requires that she be granted all the benefits which she would have received upon a re-instatement from 7.6.97 to 6.6.98. The assessed value is at Rs.550,000.
After completing the year of the second extension, she would have had the right to apply for her third and subsequent extensions of service, and the value to be placed on the expectation of such extensions, must take account of the practice of the NSB, of granting extensions, even upto the age of sixty. Court has equitably assessed that at Rs. 550,000. The petitioner is said to be treated for all purposes as having been in employment until 6.6.98.
R. K. W. Goonesekera with G. Alagaratnam, appeared for the petitioner.
K. Sripavan, Deputy Solicitor General appeared for the NSB.
The judgment was made by Justice Mark Fernando with Justices S. W. B. Wadugodapitiya and D. P. S. Gunasekera agreeing.
Management taking law into own hands - Plantation TUs
Plantation Trade Unions were of the opinion that the attitude of Plantation Management had changed from bad to worse after privatisation and that the Hapugastenne Plantations and the Management in particular had taken the law into their own hands.
It was also the opinion of all those unions which participated in this all important meeting that certain persons with vested interests were doing all they can to give the Passara Group incidents a communal twist which the unions categorically denied and unequivocally condemned.
The Plantation Trade Unions that met last week at Hotel Empress on the initiative of the Lanka Jathika Estate Workers Union, to discuss the serious situation prevailing on Passara Estate in particular and some estates coming under Hapugastenne Plantations in general.
The General Secretary of the Lanka Jathika Estates Workers Union Rajah Seneviratne in a press release stated that the unions questioned the Government as to why the Police had not taken action against the manager of the Passara Group regarding the complaints made by the workers and the union leaders.
The management of Passara Estate had alleged that senior office bearers of leading trade unions had instigated the recent incidents on Passara Estate and identified them to the law enforcement authorities with the idea of getting them arrested and hauled before court. In fact, the passport of ex-provincial councillor and Assistant Secretary of the LJEWU has been already impounded. Some of these trade unionists are politicians and potential candidates for the forthcoming provincial council elections.
The management had already named 28 suspects who are now in custody. Therefore the trade unions which met at the Hotel Empress vehemently condemned the actions of the estate management. They unanimously decided to protest against any action taken against the senior trade unionists that will not only violate the freedom of association but also the rights of the trade unions, including the right to represent.
The trade unions decided to inform the International Trade Secretariats and the other international affiliates to protest and condemn the actions taken by this plantation company and also to request the Minister of Labour to summon a meeting immediately, inviting all the trade unions which were signatories to the 12 (1) agreement of Passara Estate Industrial Dispute, and the Employers Federation of Ceylon to interpret the order with regard to the entity of Passara Estate.
The trade unions also decided to take further strong action after reviewing the situation.
The trade unions which met were The Lanka Jathika Estate Workers' Union, The Ceylon Estate Staff Union, The Ceylon National Workers Congress, The Joint Plantation Trade Union Council (consisting of 12 trade unions), The Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya, The Upcountry Workers Front, The Ceylon Plantation and Rural Workers Congress and the Estate and General Services Union.
The assembled trade unions overwhelmingly condemned the authorities concerned for allowing the strike to drag on resulting in an irreparable loss to all and sundry.
Habaraduwa's water problem will be solved shortly
GALLE: Mr. Indika Gunawardene, Minister of Housing and Urban Development said that a project will shortly be implemented to solve the acute water problem in the Habaraduwa electorate.
He further added that the P.A. govt. has done a great deal in the spheres of electricity and water supply thus contributing largely towards the development of the country in general during it's four years in office. ''Over the years, the administration of the Colombo Municipality was in the hands of the U.N.P., but the housing problem of the ordinary people in Colombo had been ignored by the U.N.P. adminstration. The basic requirements of the shanty dwellers in Colombo were exposed to grave health hazards.
The Minister said so at a function held in connection with the ceremonial opening of the 'Jana Udana' Gammanaya in 'Sirimovapura' at Dikkumbura in the Habaraduwa, electorate following the ceremonial commissioning of 250 houses.
The Minister also handed over the key's to the house holders who were allotted the houses.
He also said that though the previous UNP government had launched three housing projects to solve the housing problem nothing fruitful had happened to elevate the gravity of the problem. There naming of 10 to 15 lakhs of housing projects was only a lip service whereas the P.A. govt has a feasible housing plan to put up 50,000 houses in the current year. The National Housing Authority is striving hard to realize this at any cost within the stipulated time. Under the housing plan loans have been granted to 42,000 families. The previous govt did not give an inch of L.R.C. lands to the poor, but gave large extents of land to business magnates. Statistics relating to these irregularities would be shortly disclosed.
Mr. Piyasena Gamage Deputy Minister of Irrigation and Power said that, President Chandrika Kumaratunga gave an election pledge to usher peace and prosperity in Sri Lanka. The peace-loving people of the country gave a resounding mandate to the PA as during U.N.P. regime the whole country was a big terror camp.
During the election, people yearned for an era devoid of fear and terror. During the period of terror, under the UNP regime the number of disappearances had amounted to over 5,000 people in the country. In the Galle district almost 2,000 persons had disappeared while in Matara the number was 2,500. The people were massacred not only in the north and east but also in the south. As a result of the humanitarian approach, no state sponsored killings were heard in Sri Lanka now.
He added that the P.A. government in order to establish peace and harmony in the country made several attempts to reach a political settlement with Prabbakaran but failed as he insisted on separatism. The LTTE was labelled as the most savage terrorist movement in the world. The L.T.T.E. could never be trusted and the late President Ranasinghe Premadasa who supported the L.T.T.E. by giving them arms and money was also brutally killed.
Galle District MP Nanda Gunasinghe said that the main problem, that confronted the housing scheme was the lack of suitable lands.
A large number of persons were rendered landless and it was a serious set back. The previous govt ejected the occupants from their own lands and gave them to their supporters.
S.P.C. member U. G. D. Piyasiri also spoke.
