Rush job on CHOGM building leaves headaches for Colombo

Tax increases needed to repay billions spent on summit, warns UNP Stray dogs remain caged as venues say no return

Partially-constructed roads and hazardous gaps in arty new pavements are among the problems confronting Colombo after the rush job to meet deadlines for the Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting summit last week.

The Opposition claims that taxes will have to be raised to repay the billions of rupees spent on hosting the event.

The expenditure on CHOGM and its related work remains a secret as municipal workers dismantle thousands of pinwheels, flags and decorations.

No-one seems to know what is to be done with the hundreds of discarded aluminium pinwheels, which, The Sunday Times learned, each cost from Rs. 7,500 - Rs.15,000; of which some never worked.

As the curtain came down on CHOGM the United National Party claimed that the government spent Rs14 billion on the event.

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told this paper the government had failed to reveal the cost but were rejecting the Opposition's estimates.

"About 400 luxury vehicles were imported at a cost of more than Rs4.5 billion for VVIP, VIP and delegate travel. There are hundreds of cars from Mercedes, BMWs to Nissan, 100 vans and 54 luxury buses. We demand that the government immedi- ately auction them and recover the cost. Instead, the vehicles are to be given to ministries. The luxury cars will definitely go to government ministers and be an added burden to the public," Mr Attanayake said.

He claims the opening ceremony cost the government Rs400 million while the bill for food and accommodation provided reached Rs4 billion.

Rs. 700 million had been spent on each head of state.

"Many government institutions are bankrupt, including the Colombo Municipal Council, which had to bear the Rs1.5 billion cost for redevelopment work prior to the summit. Taxes and borrowing from the Treasury are the only ways to recover these huge costs," Mr Attanayake said.

Colombo's Mayor AJ.M. Muzammil said the Council had requested funds from the Treasury to continue with Colombo's beautification projects.

"Proposed road work will continue. Though the summit is over, the parks will be lit up and maintained," Mr Muzammil asserted.

Pedestrians complain that hurried work has resulted in pavements being hazardous.

"Although colourful bricks were laid to make the pavements decorative, they should also be pedestrian-friendly. There are gaps in between bricks that catch shoe heels. It is more dangerous during busy office hours and at nights," said Samanthika Peiris, a private sector employee in Colombo pointing gaps along the pavement near the Town Hall.

The stray dogs that were rounded up over CHOGM still languish in pounds waiting for their fate to be decided, and now some institutions are refusing to have the animals released again into their former haunts.

Prior to the event, about 180 street dogs - especially near Nelum Pokuna (Lotus Pond) Theatre, Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall(BMICH) and Viharamahadevi Park premises and along roads to be used by heads of state and foreign delegates - were seized by the Colombo Municipal Council's veterinary office.

The dogs were to be kept only temporarily in the pound and be released after the event.

"We were given assurances that the dogs will be returned to the same location where they were captured but still they haven't been released. The dogs in cages are stressed and traumatised and are in no state to be sterilised," said Sagarika Rajakarunanayake, President of Sathva Mitra. She said there were plans to move the dogs to shelters in Anuradhapura and Hambantota.

Colombo Municipal Council's Chief Veterinary Surgeon Dr. I.V.P. Dharmawardane said discussions are to be held over returning the dogs.

"The BMICH management is refusing to take the dogs that were in their premises, it is the same with Lotus Pond. As there are jogging, cycling paths and children's play area in the Viharamaha Devi Park, we are advised not to release the dogs as they will cause public nuisance," Dr Dharmawardane said.

The dogs are to be kept caged until a decision is made and during that time they will be vaccinated and sterilised.

The tourist police units set up near the Fort Railway Station, Galle Face Green and the Gangaramaya Temple during the summit week have been removed.

"The tourist police posts have been removed and shifted to Pasikudah, Mt Lavinia and Bentota. The temporary ones in Colombo were only for delegates and those visiting the city during CHOGM," said police spokesman Senior Superintendent Ajith Rohana.