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Inland revenue looks at lawyers, doctors and cell phone users
Sri Lanka not lousy with millionaires

Despite inflation and the present state of Sri lanka's currency which makes even beggars sniff at offerings below at least a two-rupee coin, the country is not lousy with millionaires - at least as far as records at the department of inland revenue go.

According to the latest available administration report of the commissioner general of inland revenue (CGIR), excluding pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) taxpayers, there are only 1,188 persons who have assessable incomes running at over a million rupees a year.

In his just published administration report for 1997, the CGIR has said that excluding the PAYE category, there are only 68,422 people paying income tax. Of this number, there were 1,091 persons with assessable incomes of Rs. 1 million to Rs. 5 million and 97 persons with assessable incomes exceeding Rs. 5 million.

The department has been taking a special interest in the tax affairs of lawyers and medical practitioners with its information branch obtaining and processing information from a variety of sources in the government and private sectors.

"Over 19,446 cards containing specific items of information relating to taxpayers were refereed to their respective files. 3,744 new tax files were opened during the year,'' the CGIR reported.

"Special projects'' had been undertaken to collect information which included gathering information relating to lawyers and medical practitioners, construction of commercial buildings with the Urban Council limits of Peliyagoda and Kotte and cellular phone holders.

Total income tax revenue during 1997 has been Rs. 89.5 billion with the lion's share collected from turnover tax which contributed 48.6% of the total. 24.2% of the collection came from income tax and 19.4% from the national security levy.

The largest component of the income tax collection came from the corporate sector whose contribution had decreased to 65% from 68% a year earlier. The CGIR said that the overall performance of income tax totaling Rs. 21.6 billion was down Rs. 188 million from the previous year.

Citizens Consultation recommends de-politicization measures

The Citizens Con-sultation on Free and Fair Elections and Depoliticisation of Key Institutions has made a series of recommendations seeking to eliminate abuses relating to over politicization and enabling free and fair elections devoid of thuggery.

A news release issued in this connection said that the Citizens Consultation was sought to restore the faith of the people in the integrity and independence of de-mocratic institutions like the public service, police and elections department.

The main recommendations made are the constitution of an independent elections commission, an independent public service commission, an independent police service commission, the setting up of a constitutional council and the strengthening of the hands of the judiciary.

Mr. K. H. J. Wija-yadasa was convenor of the drafting committee whose other members included Messrs. Bradman Weerakoon, D. M. Swaminathan, Ms. Swarna Obeysekera, Ana Seneviratne, Shibly Aziz, W.D. Ailapperuma, Father Oswald Firth, A.L.M. Hashim, Melvin Wijesekera, Air Vice Marshall Harry Gunatilleke, Austin Fernando, Ms. Monica Ruwan-pathirane, Kingsley Rodrigo, A.L.M. Thangavel, Elmore Perera, Ms. Janaki Gunawardene and D.S.S. Mayadunne.

With regard to the elections commission, the consultation has recommended a 3-member national elections commission to be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the constitutional council. The chairman of the commission would also be designated chief elections commissioner.

It has been recommended that the commissioners should not have been actively engaged in politics and that tenure of office is being constitutionally safeguarded in the same manner as applicable to supreme court judges.

Also, the national elections commission shall have the power of canceling and holding fresh elections where it is satisfied that there has been disruption of free elections by violence or other means.

The recommended independence public service commission will comprise 5 members appointed by the President on the recommendations of the constitutional council.

The consultation has recommended constitutional safeguards to prevent any person from influencing or attempting to influence any decisions of the PSC by providing for punitive punishment.

It has been recommended that while secretaries to the ministries will be outside the purview of the PSC, they will be appointed from among persons "of ability and quality'' by the President with the prior approval of the constitutional council.

To insure the PSC against political and bureaucratic control, it has been recommended that the constitutional council will determine the reasonableness of requests from the PSC for funds and other resources.

Independent police service commission: The appointment, transfer, promotion, dismissal and disciplinary control of all police officers shall be vested in the national police service commission consisting of 5 persons one of whom shall be its chairman and appointed by the President on the recommendation of the constitutional council. A constitutional provision to ensure non-interference with decisions of the police commission has also been incorporated on the same lines as for the PSC.

The citizens consultation has also recommended the strengthening of the hands of the judiciary with all judges of the supreme court and the president and judges of the appeal court being appointed on the recommendation of a judicial appointments council taking away the discretion now available to the President in the matter of such appointments.

The judicial appointments council shall constitute of the chief justice (chairman and convenor), the attorney -general, two most senior judges of the supreme court and one of the most senior president's counsel nominated by the chief justice.

The appointment of the chief justice shall be made by the President after careful scrutiny and final approval by the constitutional council.

There shall be a judicial service commission appointed by the President consisting of the chief justice (chairman) and two other judges of the supreme court recommended by the chief justice and one of whom shall have been a judicial officer with original court experience. The supreme court or the court of appeal shall not come within the administrative or financial management of the presidential secretariat but that of the constitutional council.

The constitutional council that has been recommended will comprise of the Speaker, Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, a chief minister nominated by the chief ministers of the provinces, 5 MPs nominated by the committee of selection of parliament, 7 others of whom two shall be retired judges of the supreme court or the court of appeal and the balance 5 members distinguished in public service or professional, commercial and .industrial or agricultural life who do not hold any political office.

It has been recommended that the constitutional council which will be chaired by the Speaker will hold office for three years.

The president of the appropriate appointing authority shall submit for prior approval of the council names of persons for appointment to high offices such as chief justice, attorney general, heads of the armed services and the police, ombudsman, auditor general, secretaries to the president, prime minister and cabinet and other ministries.

Telecom Chairman removed

Telecom Chairman, Hemasiri Fernando, has been removed from his post, according to Telecom sources.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga has informed the Public Enterprises Reforms Commission (PERC) in writing about Mr. Fernando's removal, government sources said.

Mr. Fernando will however continue as Secretary to the Prime Minister.

A reported dispute with Posts, Tele-communications and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera had led to Mr. Fernando's removal, Telecom sources said.

The granting of various facilities and concessions to private service providers like Suntel and Lanka Bell had created a division of opinion between the Minister and the Telecom Chairman and the worsening crisis in this regard had resulted in Mr. Fernando's removal, sources claimed.

Mr. Fernando could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Thonda off to India for six weeks

CWC leader S. Thondaman will be leaving for India for six weeks on Sunday morning and will be out of the NWP Provincial election campaign.

Mr. Thondaman said yesterday that he was leaving primarily on a holiday but also had a program including a felicitation by the World Tamil Organisation in Madras for services he had rendered to the plantation worker community here. He will also be also inaugurating an international conference on Skanda Murugan in Chennai.

He said yesterday that the CWC has been instructed to fully back the PA at the NWPC election and all his aides and MPs will be in the government campaign. He denied a report that his grandson, Arumugam Thondaman, the general secretary of the CWC, will act for him in his absence.

"My deputy minister, Mr. Jagath Pushpakumara, will act as minister,'' he said.

In a statement issued yesterday, Mr. Thondaman accused the print media of a ``spate of anti-Thondaman vituperation.'' He denied reports that he had conspired to defeat the votes of the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs and Plantation Industries and also that he had said that it was he who decided whether the PA or UNP came to power.

"My audience at rallies is Tamil speaking and my speeches are always made in Tamil. The meeting (at Badulla) was fully covered by the Tamil press which never reported any such statement,'' he said.

"The rantings of the press is based on stories that are without foundation. The entire effort is a strain upon credibility,'' he said. (FRS)

DIG interviews
'Show' also in the fray

By Zacki Jabbar
Interviews to fill five vacancies for Deputy Inspectors General of Police will be held tomorrow, a police department spokesman said.

Twenty six senior police officers including the controversial Bandula 'Show' Wickremasinghe have been asked to present themselves before the interview board.

Asked if the court cases pending against Mr. Wickremasinghe in connection with the arrest of High Court Judge Mahanama Tillekeratne would be held against him, the spokesman said that even a police officer under interdiction has the right to face an interview board.

"It is only fair that all those eligible to sit for the promotion test be given an opportunity. In the case of Mr. Wickremasinghe there is no internal inquiry pending against him. We proceed on the premise that a person is innocent until proved guilty. However, if an officer selected for promotion has any inquiry pending against him the promotion will be with held until the completion of the inquiry. In case there is an adverse finding the promotion would not be granted", he added.

In granting promotions the police department considers seniority, work , conduct and merit, the spokesman claimed.

71 per cent of unemployed are youth

The aggravation of youth unemployment problem is displayed by the fact that 7 per cent of the unemployed in the country are youth.

Unemployment among the younger groups is an alarming feature and the rate is as much as 36 per cent in the age group 14-18 years and 3 per cent in the age group 19-25 years, Dr. S. S. Colombage, Director of Statistics of the Central Bank told a public seminar on 'Socio-economic developments in Sri Lanka; major findings of the consumer finances and socio-economic survey - 1996/97', recently.

He said that the unemployment rate declined from 24 per cent in 1973 to 10 per cent in 1996/97. This trend was predominant in the rural and urban sectors where there was a faster growth of economic activities in the post-liberalisation period. In the estate sector the rate of unemployment remained low but has increased when compared to the 1986/87 level. In the post-liberalisation period the bulk of employment opportunities were generated in the manufacturing and services sectors. As a result, the share of employment in these two sectors rose from 47 per cent in 1963 to 61 per cent in 1996/97 whereas the share in agriculture declined from 53 per cent to 38 per cent. The employment structure has shifted from regular types of jobs to casual jobs and self-employment, he added.

The incidence of unemployment is also high among the educated persons. In 1996/97 the rate of unemployment among persons with GCE (AL) qualifications was 24 per cent whereas the rate pertaining to those who had only primary education was only 2.3 per cent. Although the overall unemployment rate declined sharply, the female unemployment rate (17.5%) continued to remain much higher than the male unemployment rate (6.4%) due to both supply and demand factors, Mr. Colombage noted.

Some of the other statistics given by Colombage at the seminar were -

* Between 1986/87 and 1996/97, the medium income, in real terms, rose by 0.8 per cent per annum for income receivers and by 0.6 per cent for spending units.

* The share of income from agriculture declined from 30 per cent in 1986/87 to 21 per cent in 1996/97 reflecting the diversification of the economy.

* In 1996/97, 38 per cent of the spending units received government welfare subsidies. The subsidies were received by 56 per cent of the spending units, which received an income of less than Rs. 3000 per month.

* A sharper rise in per capita income in real terms was observed in the rural sector where approximately three fourth of the country's population live. This was due to the merging diversity in economic activities in the rural sector, leading to greater income-generating possibilities from off-farm employment.

* Per capita consumption expenditure, in real terms, increased at a compound rate of 1.7 per cent per annum over the period 1986/87 to 1996/97.

Between 1953 and 1996/97 the share of food expenditure declined from 60 per cent to 48 per cent.

* The savings rate of spending units in 1996/97 is estimated to be 10.4 per cent.

* As a result of the deceleration of population growth since the 1070s, the population structure has shifted towards older age groups. The share of population below 14 years fell from 41 per cent in 1963 to 25 per cent in 1996/97.

* The share of female population rose from 48 per cent in 1953 to 52 per cent in 1996/97

* The proportion of never married persons in total population fell from 58 per cent in 1986/87 to 51 per cent in 1996/97.

* The average household size declined from 5.75 persons in 1963 to 4.61 persons in 1996/97.

* The average number of income receivers per household increased in all sectors.

* The average number of dependents declined from 3.48 persons in 1986/87 to 2.97 persons in 1996/97

* The literacy rate increased from 82 per cent in 1963 to 92 per cent in 1996/97

* Incidence of school avoidance in the age group 5-14 years declined from 13 per cent to 1986/87 to 8.8 per cent in 1996/97.

* Since the liberalisation of the economy, private sector education has expanded.

* The proportion of students attending tuition classes increased from 24 per cent in 1986/87 to 35 per cent in 1996/97.

* Housing conditions improved considerably. In 1996/97 about 90 per cent of the houses were self-owned.

* Firewood remains as the main source of energy with 87 per cent of households suing firewood for cooking.

* There has been an improvement in health conditions but the proportion of population reported ill increased from 12 per cent in 19986/87 to 13 per cent in 1996/97.

*Reliance on western medicine increased.

Sri Lanka marks 50 years in turmoil and heads for more troubles

by Amal Jayasinghe
Colombo, Dec. 26 - Sri Lanka's independence golden jubilee was marred by a huge bombing that marked a watershed and even as the dust settles the violence-prone country is set for more problems in the New Year.

The suicide truck bomb attack on the Temple of the Tooth just two weeks before the anniversary celebrations in February underscored Sri Lanka's vulnerability to terrorist strikes and further dented investor confidence.

The government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, which came to power in 1994 offering a hand of friendship to Tiger rebels, promptly outlawed the rebel movement that was blamed for the temple bombing, shutting the door to negotiations - at least for the time being.

The destruction of the temple was seen by justice minister G. L. Peiris as a serious setback to political efforts at ending the conflict.

"No sane person could expect the government to hold a referendum on the package after that attack," Peiris said, referring to a power-sharing plan unveiled by the government in August 1995.

The main opposition United National Party (UNP), which holds the balance of power to make or break constitutional reforms, says the package, which envisages turning the country into a de facto federal state, is unacceptable to them.

For its part, the main Tamil separatist group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which is currently embroiled in fighting government forces in the island's north-east, is also opposed to the power sharing plan.

Despite the heavy loss of lives among troops and Tigers, as well as civilians, in 1998, the administration is hoping the new Year will bring peace that has eluded this nation of 18.3 million people for decades.

"Our hope is for peace in the New Year," Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera said, adding he expected support for the government's political plan, which seeks to end the conflict that has claimed more than 55,000 lives since 1972.

The country's peace hopes were momentarily revived in November when the leader of the LTTE, Velupillai Prabhakaran offered what he called unconditional talks to end the bloodshed. He favoured third party mediation.

Within four days of Prabhakaran's offer, the government called off its biggest and the bloodiest anti-Tiger offensive, which had dragged on for 18 months.

Thousands were killed on both sides during the fighting along a key highway that became a dead-end for over 7,000 soldiers and Tigers killed and many more wounded.

The government, however, maintained that ending the offensive, code-named "Jayasikuru" or Sure Victory, did not alter the original objective of capturing the strategic A-9 highway from the LTTE - only it would take more time and perhaps require a new strategy.

Just two weeks later, the new army chief Srilal Weerasooriya made it clear it was not willing to accept Prabhakaran's peace bid.

Lieutenant General Weerasooriya said rebel leader Prabhakaran had called his November 27 offer "unconditional", but at the same time wanted the military to withdraw to positions it held in 1995 before opening talks.

"That is a condition and it is not acceptable by any standard," Weerasooriya told reporters shortly after taking command. "If the LTTE is genuine they should not ask us to withdraw."

"I don't like to sacrifice my men again," he said, noting that the Tigers may be seeking a "breather" to regroup and rearm and then start fighting again.

The military stalement in the country is compounded by economic worries, which are expected to get worse next year with stiff competition from East Asian countries.

The problems are made worse by the fall in tea prices. Sri Lanka's main export commodity is tea. Financial analysts agree that 1999 is going to be an economically difficult year for the country.

The International Monetary Fund, which earlier made upbeat forecast for the Sri Lankan economy, now openly declares it is unhappy with the island's budget for 1999.

The IMF representative here, Anton Op De Beke, said overruns in defence expenditure coupled with falling revenues affected Sri Lanka's budget while revenue estimates were too optimistic.

Sri Lanka has also just begun to feel the impact of falling tea prices after enjoying unusually high prices in the first half of the year. Competition from East Asian countries was also hurting Sri Lanka's exports. - (AFP)

Another stolen statue recovered in Kantale

By Kalinga K. A. Weerakkody
An ancient bronze statue of Buddha was recovered by the Kantale police on Wednesday. They arrested a suspect on the following day. Police suspect that the statue was retained for sale.

The statue which is 31/2 inches in height and weighing 84 grames depicts a sitting posture of Buddha.

The Director General of Archaeology Dr. S. V. Deraniyagala confirmed that this statue belongs to the last period of the Anuradhapura era.

This was the third statue to be found by the Kantale police within the last two months.

Earlier Kantale Police recovered a 'Thara Devi' statue and a 'Statue of Kali'.

OIC of Kantale police Srinika Jayakody heads the investigating team.

Minister travelled free on Balkan Airlines - Ravi

By Zacki Jabbar
Lalith Front parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayaka says the state media is making baseless and mischievous allegations against him while conveniently forgetting that a minister in the present government had travelled to Sofia by courtesy Balkan Airlines.

Karunanayaka was responding to allegations in the state media against the agents of Balkan Airlines in Colombo, Air Euro Services (Pvt) Ltd. in which he is a director, of being linked to an international forged passport racket involving the LTTE.

"I will be suing the media organisation and the writer of the article for hundreds of millions of rupees for the baseless and mischievous allegations against me by innuendo. An incompetent and corrupt regime that has not fulfilled its promises is now using the state media to carry on a totally baseless mud slinging campaign against me. They are trying to use innocent and honest MPs to wash their sins, but they will not succeed," he said.

Karunanayaka said that Euro Air Services will also be instituting legal action. In addition Balkan Airlines which is the national carrier of Bulgaria will take necessary precautionary measures and action to correct the baseless information.

"It is ironical that baseless allegations against me are being made immediately after I sued both Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and the Rupavahini Corporation for defamation in a sum of Rs 500 million each last week. While the state media is trying to tarnish the image of the General Sales Agent of Balkan Airlines a government minister travels free on the very same airline which the state media says is pirating LTTEers to Sofia", he observed.

Karunanayaka said that five Tamils being detected with forged passports at the Katunayaka Airport when they were about to board a Balkan Airline flight to Sofia in no way reflects on the airline or the GSA.

"Visas are issued by the respective embassies. Besides all airlines off load passengers almost every day for various reasons. To link the Balkan Airlines GSA in Colombo with some passport racket involving the LTTE is absurd, baseless and totally mischievous," he added.

Ravi Karunanayake defamation suit
Summons issued on SLRC

by V. Varathasuntharam
Colombo Additional District Judge Maxwell Paranagama issued summons on Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation when the Ravindra Karunanayake defamation suit came up for hearing on Thursday.

Attorney-at-law G. G. Arulpragasam appearing for the plaintiff Parliamentarian Karunanayake handed over two video tape recordings of an interview which was telecast over Rupavahini.

Court ordered that the two video tapes be kept in safe custody sequel to an application by counsel Arulpragasam.

Karunanayake, who is suing the Rupavahini Corporation for damages in Rs. 500 million, states in his plaint that among others he has been instrumental in bringing to the notice of the public that the sale of the shares and the handing over of the management of the national carrier Air Lanka to Emirates Airlines by the government has not been in best interest of the public and the nation and that the government did not act in the best interest of the public and the nation in this regard.

On the 20th day of May 1998, Rupavahini interviewed Minister of Plan Implementation and Parliamentary Affairs Jeyeraj Fernandopulle and the interview was telecast throughout the island.

The plaintiff Karunanayake further pleads that the interview which was so telecast and published are defamatory of him by innuendo, in that, inter-alia they meant to convey the impression that, he had a vested interest in opposing and criticising the sale of shares and the handing over of the management of Air Lanka, and that the he was motivated by interest other than the interest of the public and the nation when he opposed the sale of shares and the handing over the management of Air Lanka.

The Minister's statement held out him to public ridicule and contempt. Rupavahini is under the control and/or direction of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Mass Media. The Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Mass Media is Mangala Samaraweera.

The plaintiff further stated that Samaraweera belongs to the same political party as Jeyeraj Fernandopulle. Samaraweera opposed politically the views of the plaintiff in the matter of privatization of Air Lanka. The government strongly opposed politically the views of the plaintiff in the matter of the privatization of Air Lanka.

The plaint states Karunanayake wrote a letter dated 21st May 1998 to the Chairman of Rupavahini stating that the interview televised and published contained baseless, false, misinformed, malicious statements and comments deliberately calculated to defame his reputation and specifically requesting Rupavahini to give him an equal space of time without delay to inform the public of the facts and to deny those false baseless allegations and statements. There has been no response from the Rupavahini or its Chairman up to now.

CIA holds 1,056 page dossier on Diana's calls

From Sujeeva Nivunhella - Our London Correspondent
The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and National Security Agency (NSA) are holding a 1,056 page dossier made by bugging Princess Diana's phones and eavesdropping on her conversations according to a report published in the 'Sunday Mirror'.

The CIA had mounted a surveillance operation on Diana at the request of British Intelligence Service MI6, the report said.

Most of the conversations recorded were between Diana and her two best friends, Lucia Flecha De Lima, wife of the Brazilian ambassador to Washington and Lana Marks, an American businesswoman.

In one recorded conversation Diana has said although she loved Dr. Hasnat Khan very much, he had ignored her. "I love him, adore him. But I just don't get him. He's always so busy and his work is so important to him. I keep telling him he doesn't need to work at the hospital. We would make a great team. We could do my work together. But he just doesn't want to know. We've talked it over a million times.''

US agents had again intercepted the Princess, crying on the phone to Lucia, when Dr. Khan ended their affair. "I can't stand the rejection any more," she sobbed. "I just want to be happy. Don't I deserve some happiness in my life? I can't believe he doesn't want me. What can I do? Everyone says I am the most beautiful woman in the world, but he isn't interested."

In another conversation with Miss Marks, Diana said of Dodi: "He's so sweet. I can't tell you how happy I am. This relationship is so easy. He doesn't demand anything from me. He can handle the spotlight - indeed he relishes it."

Once US agents heard Diana speaking her plan to visit actress Goldie Hawn's ranch in Colorado with Prince William and Prince Harr. Both US and UK security services were concerned about their security, as she had not informed them. She told Buckingham Palace about her visit only two days after the call was intercepted. Diana cancelled that trip.

On December 29, 1993, Diana flew from Washington to New York in an internal commercial flight with Lucia Flecha de Lima. Behind them in seats 7A and 7B were two Secret Service agents usually assigned to the White House, listening to her conversation.

In 1995 when Diana flew with billionaire businessman Ted Forstmann out of New York in his private jet, the security services had monitored the aeroplane communications with the help of a spy satellite.

Also in 1995, the CIA had used a security service agent as a waiter to eavesdrop on her conversations when Diana had dinner in Washington with some of the America's most distinguished people.

The report also says that Diana was angry with the Queen Mother because she arranged her failed marriage to Prince Charles and Diana had made some nuisance calls to the Queen Mother.

According to Miss Marks, Diana had known that her telephone lines were bugged. Therefore she had used her mobile phone most of the time thinking that it was safe. But she had never known that she was monitored in the USA. The Princess had thought that USA was a safe place for her. She had even met First Lady Hilary Clinton to discuss her moving to USA permanently.

One senior US security source had told the Sunday Mirror: "There was genuine fear from London that an unregulated princess could be an embarrassment for Her Majesty's Government.

"While any surveillance could not prevent her from speaking out on any subject London was concerned to know of her remarks within hours of them being made.

"Poor Diana never had any idea what we knew about her. Everything she said and did was monitored. Then it was all sent back to MI6 in London." - (Courtesy Sunday Mirror)

Journalist of the Year awards launched

The Editors Guild of Sri Lanka's has announced the launching of the Journalist of the Year Award and other awards of excellence for outstanding journalists in the print media for the year 1998.

Nominations for the awards will be accepted by the Guild upto January 31, 1999 and a panel of judges will make the selections thereafter. The awards will be presented at a ceremony in March 1999.

All journalists who have published their works in the year 1998, including free lancers will be eligible to enter. Newspapers and members of the Guild will also be permitted to recommend nominees.

For the initial year, the following categories will be selected. The coveted Journalist of the Year; Best photo-journalist of the Year; Best Cartoonist of the Year and Scoop of the Year. In addition, Excellence in Journalism Awards will also be made.

The Guild hopes to expand the scheme to other categories in the following years and explore avenues of including the electronic media as well.

The main purpose of the awards scheme is to recognise professionalism in journalism and to reward those who have excelled during a particular year. The scheme is open to all three language journalists and newspapers.

Further details of the Awards scheme including how to apply instructions will be published in the next 2-3 weeks in the national newspapers, a Guild news release said.

New rules for Gratien prize

The Gratien Trust which has begun receiving entries for the award of the 1998 Gratien prize has announced that it has changed some of the rules governing this award which has been awarded five times since the Trust was established in 1994. The 1998 prize will be the sixth.

A news release from the Trust said that at the time it was established, the Gratien Award was only made to work that had been published during the year of the award. This was in keeping with the practice in most such awards like the Booker Prize, the Commonwealth Writers prize and the Sahitya Akademi Award.

In 1996 the Trust decided to make unpublished manuscripts too eligible for the award as it was found that the rules might be excluding authors of prize-winning quality work who were unable to publish due to financial and other constraints.

The Trust said that this decision was justified by the fact that the awards for 1996 and 1997 were won by authors of unpublished manuscripts.

"Evidently the change had provided new opportunities to writers and had enlarged the participation in the Gratien award. Consequently, the objectives of the Trust which were to encourage and promote Sri Lankan creative writing in English were being served better", the release said.

When the award was given to an unpublished manuscript, the Trust requested the author to arrange for early publication of the prize-winning work by using all or part of the prize given as may be needed for the purpose. This requirement was based on the conviction that the objectives of the competition would only be fully realised in the context of the reading public having early and ready access to the prize-winning work.

"Undoubtedly, much of the meaning and purpose of the prize would be lost if a work that receives the prize is not available to the concerned public for perusal as well as for critical review and discussion", the release said.

But the experience of the last two years have taught that without more definite arrangements, authors will continue to encounter problems publishing their work resulting in prolonged delay and uncertainty before such prize-winning work reaches the reader.

The Trust has therefore decided that in the future it will publish the first edition of the prize winning manuscript in consultation with the author using all or part of the prize money for financing the publication. Any part of the prize money unspent after meeting the cost of the publication and sales revenue from this first edition will accrue to the author.

"The Trust hopes that these changes will enable authors to overcome the problems of publication and will ensure that the reading public has timely access to the works that receive the Gratien Prize", the Trustees said.

Only 3 burnt by fireworks on X'mas Day

Christmas Day saw 260 patients treated at the Accident Service of the National Hospital. Of these 68 patients were injured in road traffic accidents, while 53 cases of assault, and only three cases of burns caused by the lighting of crackers and other fireworks were reported.

Dr. Hector Weerasinghe, Director of the Accident Service and Acting Director of the National Hospital told the "Sunday Island" that of the cases treated for burns, three were children below the age of twelve. Two of these cases involved injury to the eyes and these were immediately despatched to the Eye Hospital.

In all there were only 75 patients who needed to be admitted to hospital, he said. The rest were treated as out-patients.

Dr. Weerasinghe said that in many instances patients who were brought for treatment after assault were found to be under the influence of liquor.

To make things worse, those who had brought them were also under the influence of liquor, he said, and as is usual in persons in a state of intoxication, these persons had tried to create trouble at the hospital. (CVW)

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