Budget Debate: Committee Stage – 17th Day

Votes of the Ministry of Transport and Highways

' no government can afford to abandon plans initiated and funds provided by a previous government"

Parliament met at 9.30 a.m. on Monday December 14 with Speaker K. B. Ratnayake in the Chair.

Speaker announced to the House that resolution would be moved before the House to refer the questions of privilege raised earlier by R. A. D. Sirisena against Silumina, Mervyn Silva, against the Daily News and Tyronne Fernando.

After presentation of petitions and papers and Minister answered oral questions, House sat in committee to discuss the votes of the Ministry of Transport and Highways.

Ananda Kularatna (UNP - Hambantota District) moved a cut of Rs. 10 from the votes of the Ministry of Transport and Highways.

Ananda Kularatne (UNP - Hambantota District) said: I regret to note that no mention was made of persons who originated most of the development programmes which the Rupavahini Corporation in a special programme identified as development programmes initiated by the present government on Sunday.

I want to tell the House that the Alawwa bridge and 28 other bridges were constructed by your government out of funds obtained by the UNP government in February 1994 from Kuwait. Agreements were signed during President D. B. Wijetunga's time. It is true no government can afford to abandon plans initiated and funds provided by a previous government.

You carried out our plans. You can't take the sole credit for these development projects.

So are the development of roads in Colombo including the Baseline Road with the fly-overs.

I have with me the progress reports of the Ministry of Transport and Highways for 1993 as well as 1998.

When the present ruling party was in the Opposition they accused the then UNP government of using increasing numbers of vehicles. You are doing the same thing today.

A large number of ruling PA MPs have obtained vehicles from the Transport Ministry. They are being maintained by the Transport Ministry.

I have the bills and other papers relating to a car purchased by the high official of the Ministry of Transport at a cost of Rs. 10.34 million.

If the General Manager needs a car of such high value the Minister must use a car twice high as that in price.

I am not speaking out of envy. We like to see people enjoying luxury. But our problem is such luxury vehicles are being used by a group of MPs who were accusing the UNP of wasting money in high cost vehicles.

Maheepala Herath (PA, Kegalle Dist.) said: The Transport and Highways Ministry is one of the most efficient branches of the government. The Opposition uses false information to create non-existent situations.

The Minister sacrifices all his time on fact finding tours. He spends his time on the road to inquire into every detail that comes under his purview. He has visited my electorate eleven times during his time. Long-neglected areas have shown marked improvement. He reinstated the train service from Rambukkana to Polgahawela. The marked improvement in transport services in Rambukkana is ample proof of the development in the transport sector under the present government.

U. L. M. Farook (UNP - Kegalle District) said: Transport Minister A. H. M. Fowzie was my friend for the last 25 years. He started politics as a UNPer. And he works the devolution and commitment of a real UNPer though he is a member of the present cabinet.

He opposed when the government tried to increase rail-fares by the current Budget. He was bold enough to threaten that he would resign if the government went ahead with the budget proposal.

Your transport services would be now collapsed completely if not for the 4000 odd buses that we managed to add to the peoplised bus services.

You have imported 500 new engines and fixed them to old buses. And these old buses carry a notice on the rear outside that a new engine has been fixed it. This is nonsense and cheap publicity. When you suffer an injury you have to treat it. You don't carry an advertisement of it on your back.

D. M. Jayaratna (Minister of Agriculture and Lands)said: Transport and Highways have shown a marked improvement at village level. Mrs. Renuka Herath want to know about Gampola. Why don't you come with me to witness the development that has taken place in these areas.

New engines have been installed under the 500 engine project. Why is the opposition worried if the engines have been fitted in the rear or front as long as there has been an increase in the numbers. The Mawanella-Nuwara Eliya road will be developed to improve the travel routes in these areas which would also be a boon to the tourist industry.

You protest about our opening ceremonies that are not any where near to the extravagant excesses during your time. We will entreat the Minister to continue with his work he has done to improve transport services during the past 4 years.

Ronnie de Mel (UNP, Matara district)said: We are grateful to the minister for quashing the budget proposal to hike up railway fares.

The Galle-Matara road is not carpeted by 24 percent as you claim in your report. As a frequent traveller on this road I can tell you that not even 5 percent of the road has been covered. The road is carpeted on one side in some places precariously. This causes so many accidents specially on rainy days. The contract given to the company should be cancelled. You should not sway to the dictates of the World Bank all the time. The Matara- Akuressa and Matara-Hakmana roads have suffered the same fate.

The Colombo Matara highway was started with much fanfare. You have touched only on 2 miles of this road for the past 4 years. The contractors of the Colombo Katunayaka highway appears to have packed up.

Bus services specially to rural areas should be increased. The bus service specially in the night time has to be improved a great deal. Bus services to Akmeemana, Hakmana and Kamburupitiya specially the night time should be improved. There should be more co-ordination between the bus services and the railways for the convenience of the passengers.

The number of road accidents would reduce if proper halting places are demarcated on the roads.

Athauda Seneviratne, (Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways) said: We acknowledge that there had been some problems with regard to the construction of the Colombo Hambantota super highway.

The reasons known to Mr. Ronnie de Mel.

Italian company whose tender was the lowest had to be accepted on the insistence of the World Bank. Our engineers who carried out an evaluation of the tender had recommended its rejection because the work of the tender board had not taken into account, 26 percent of the full length of the road. The tender was also lowest, and difference between this one and the next lowest was about Rs. 100 million.

The problem was reported to the Cabinet but the World Bank insisted that the tender should be given to the lowest tenderer.

The company has now gone for arbitration. This is why the work being delayed.

However work will restart soon. The Colombo - Katunayake super high way too will be a reality soon.

Y. Balachandran (DPLF - Vanni District) said: I must thank the minister for all the good work he has done to improve roads and public transport services in Vavuniya.

The army is commandeering buses in the Vanni district. They have already taken four buses for the transport of refugees.

This problem should be looked into.

Looting is rampant in the trains from Anuradhapura to Vavuniya. There have been instances of drugging of passengers

P. P. Devaraj (CWC, Colombo District)said: The minister and his deputy has done a wonderful job of work.

I would also like to state that existing rules and regulations for the appointment of officers by your Ministry should be followed. I would like to state one case where an applicant to the post of sub station master of a qualified person has been revoked due to an alleged interference by an official who had no authority to intervene in the appointments. The boy who was fully qualified for this post has appealed to several Ministers and I request you to look into this matter.

U. L. M. Mohiden (SLMC - National List) said: Hon'ble Ananda Kularatne told the House that the Transport Ministry had given vehicles to ten MPs. But I would say that Mr. Kularatne who was State Minister for Transport and Highways in the UNP government which gave vehicles to criminals including murderers.

There are no shelter in Kalmunai and Ampara private bus stands. Please construct them early.

Please pay risk allowances to bus crews operating in the conflict areas in the North and East.

Pradeep Hapangama (UNP - Gampaha District) reads Hansard report of Athauda Seneviratne's speech in 1993 condemning UNP's plans to build the Katunayaka Colombo super highway.

On that occasion Mr. Seneviratne asked for whom are these mighty roads are built if even motor cyclists are not allowed to ride in the super highway.

Now the same member is the Deputy Minister of the same Ministry which is contemplating the construction of roads and bridges.

The Minister must visit the Kelaniya Depot. The depot is headed by one of the most inefficient persons. He is encouraging corruption.

Nandimithra has not returned the vehicle given to him. Those MPs who have obtained vehicles from the Ministry of Transport include Tissa Karalliyadda, Mr. Seneviratne, A. M. D. Rajan, Srimani Athulathmudali, Kesaralal Gunasekera and Mahipala Herath. I am exposing these names because Mahipala was challenging to reveal them.

Nanda Gunasingha (PA ,Galle District) said: The past years have recorded a marked improvement in transport and highways. Substantial amounts have been allocated to develop the southern highways.

Cluster bus companies are functioning well. The MPs have also contributed to these companies with their guidance. I would also like to request the minister to help these companies to obtain spare parts as the maintenance and repair sections are not functioning due to limited funds.

The Minister should also consider the different terrain in many parts of the country when you bring down buses. The irregular imports during the previous era that was dictated by commissions have weekened the transport fleet.

Workers' discipline is another area of concern with many workers making undue demands at times interfering with the management. The introduction of cluster companies have reduced this situation to a certain degree. Some elements want to continue the corrupt practices during the previous era.

I also request the Minister to extend the concessions given to private petrol stations to the cluster bus companies as well.

M. Sivalingam (CWC - Nuwara Eliya) said: Roads in the provincial council areas should be built directly by the Ministry. The provincial councils are given funds for the construction of roads but they did not have the experience in road building.

Kumara Welgama (PA - Kalutara District) said: Passenger transport service is showing improvement after the creation of the new bus company in Kalutara district.

Taxes are eating into the costs of construction of roads. When a RDA road is constructed a levy of 12 percent is made. Again 12.50 percent charged as GST. Then the RCDC which builds the roads charge 35 percent as its overhead profits. In this manner 59.5 percent go as taxes and profits.

When you estimate a road for Rs. 500,000 about one third goes as taxes and profits.

This should be looked in to.

Nanda Mathew (UNP - Ratnapura District) said: A committee should be appointed to approve statues that are being erected along the ceremonial high ways from President's House to Parliament.

No one should be allowed to erect statues along this route without the approval of the committee. The committee should be compris of such persons as the Prime Minister, the Speaker, Leader of the Opposition and the Mayor of Colombo.

This route which is being used by foreign dignitaries should be maintained satisfactorily.

No buses are operating after 6 p.m. in rural areas. This is causing great inconvenience to people. Whether buses are operated by private individuals or the transport companies the government must be watchful. It is the government of the day that is being cursed by the people when they have to wait for long hours for buses or whenever they don't get a bus at all.

Upali Gunaratne (PA - Gampaha District) said: The Ministry of Transport must take some steps to make use of old buses after repairing them. Maintenance division of many depots do not have skilled personnel. This shortage should be looked into.

The Motor Traffic Department is a highly corrupt place. You cannot get anything done without money. This is a place where only money talks. Registration and transfer of ownership of vehicles require bribing.

(Continued Tomorrow)