Orrowing and spending spree
T more LLRC HRC sessions in Geneva Tensions deepen over 'Maveerar day'; Wigneswaran says his life in danger, TNA insists Governor must quit
changes so that the process could be completed within 26 weeks. Government officials from the district to the local authority level are to be told to keep parties whose land will be up for acquisition informed. Examples: the present period of "tracing" (field survey work and preparing plans) which is 12 weeks will be pruned to six weeks. The publication of Gazette notifications is to be pruned from four weeks to one week. Preparation of condition and valuation reports is to be reduced from three weeks to one week.
In a related move, the Ministry of Land and Land Development is to promulgate new regulations giving the basis of assessing market value or the compensation in respect of lands taken over for the following nine projects: (1)
Colombo-Katunayake expressway, (2) Colombo Outer Circular Highway Project, (3) Southern Transport Development, (4) Colombo-Kandy Road, (5) Orugodawatte-Ambatale Road, (6) New Kelani Bridge Approach (Kelanimulla to Angoda, Koswatte, (7) Mattakuliya Bridge Approach (Centre Road and Aluthmawatha), (8) Matara-Kataragama Railway construction and (9) Deduru Oya Reservoir.
These new regulations will specify that land for the nine projects will be assessed by a Land Acquisition and Re-settlement Committee (LARC) headed by the Divisional Secretary (Government Agent) or his immediate junior and three others. Payment for the lands will be determined by the Chief Valuer. It will be accompanied by an ex gratia payment amounting to the difference between the statutory compensation and the replacement cost. Whilst encroachers will not be paid, buildings and structures (without depreciation) shall be paid an amount determined by LARC. Provision has also been made for loss of livelihood by self-employed persons. A rent allowance is also to be paid to those who seek temporary accommodation as a result of the acquisition of their abode. There will also be a varying fee for those who seek self-location. It would be Rs. 500,000 for those in Municipality areas, Rs. 300,000 for Urban Council, Pradeshiya Sabha areas in Metropolitan and Board of Investment areas. In other Pradeshiya Sabha areas the amount will be Rs. 150,000.
Another key project the Government will undertake is the widening of the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake at a cost of US$ 68,828,011.42 (more than Rs. 8,900 million or 8.9 billion). The project will be awarded to the China Harbour Engineering Corporation. It outbid a firm from Belfast, Ireland.
The Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd. is to be authorised to negotiate a commercial contract where the Chinese company will design and construct a widened runway as well as overlay. According to Civil Aviation Minister Priyankara Jayaratne, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has recommended during its audit observations that an overlaying of the runway was necessary to improve surface condition for the safe operation of aircraft as some cracks have appeared.
Aviation Ministry officials declined comment on whether expansion and overlaying work, which would involve giving a new top to the runway, could be carried out whilst the BIA was operational. If that is not a possibility, the question is whether the Government would ask airline operators to use the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) until the multi-billion rupee improvement programme, set to take several months, is completed. Leave alone the commercial aspects, such a move would be seen politically as a big boost for the Rajapaksa administration, but how the international airlines will react could be an issue.
The new project at the BIA would no doubt be a huge debt burden on Airport and Aviation Services (Lanka) Ltd. (AASL). Besides the newer repayment responsibilities that will accrue to it, the Government will transfer the US$ 190 million (Rs. 5,700 million) which the Treasury borrowed from the Exim Bank of China to construct the MRIA. The construction cost of international airport in Mattala was US$ 309 million out of which the Chinese Bank provided US$ 190 million "as a concession loan." It has been accounted for in Treasury books. It is claimed that such a record is not consonant with the Sri Lanka Financial Reporting Standards. Officially, the Government has given the MRIA on a 99 year lease to the AASL. This means repayment of loans for renovation at BIA and the loans for MRIA would have to be borne by the ASSL.
On the foreign policy front, the External Affairs Ministry wants to open more diplomatic missions overseas. The latest proposal of External Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris is to open an Embassy in the war-battered Afghan capital of Kabul.
It is no secret that diplomatic missions operating in Kabul are placed under heavy security, often undertaken by multi-national security agencies which charge millions of dollars. Some Foreign Ministries do not allow the families of staff of these missions, particularly the heads. Instead, they are granted leave at short intervals to visit their home country. The immediate urgency for a mission in Kabul, a costly exercise, has not been explained.
In June, Minister Peiris obtained approval from the Cabinet of Ministers to open 15 Sri Lanka resident diplomatic missions. The countries are: Mauritania, Burkino Faso, Djibouti, Gabon, Cote d'Ivore, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Malawi, Chad, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Cape Verde and Niger. As pointed out in these columns, a year later, the "Look Africa" policy came a cropper with only heads of government of seven of the 19 Commonwealth nations in that continent attending the CHOGM. They were South Africa, Rwanda, Lesotho, Tanzania, Namibia, Seychelles, and Swaziland. Twelve African heads of governments, including those of the big ones like Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana and Kenya, were absent.
With these developments, a matter of concern for the Government was fears that some groups were making an attempt to "revive the LTTE." This followed reports of a build-up days ahead of November 27 in the North to mark the 'Maveerar' day. The matter formed the subject at a top level discussion by security top brass and high ranking intelligence officials at their weekly session last Wednesday. A proposal to introduce tough new laws to prevent people "attempting to revive terrorist activity or promoting their ideals" was discussed. However, President Rajapaksa noted that for the time being, such activity should be dealt with through the existing Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
Ahead of the "Maveerar" day Northern Provincial Agriculture Minister Ponnuthurai Iyangaranesan, distributed 5,000 different saplings to be planted on November 27. He had a tree planting ceremony at his private office. Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran planted one at the Provincial Education Ministry premises in the evening that day at Kalaviyankadu. Earlier, a senior Police official had visited Northern Provincial Council Chairman C.V.K. Sivagnanam to warn that they should not hold any public functions on Wednesday. He had told the Chairman that orders had come from "higher authorities" not to hold them on November 26 and 27. He had said that the Police would not afford any protection for such events. On Thursday night, the residence of Iyangaranesan was attacked by an unknown group. Police said in Mannar, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi areas, lamps were lit in a few houses. It had also been done at the Jaffna National Hospital. A Hindu priest was arrested in Mullaitivu around 6 pm for holding a Pooja allegedly to mark Maveerar day.
Chief Minister Wigneswaran issued a statement in which he argued that "When Elara died King Dutugemunu installed a memorial and ordered that the passers-by should pay their respects. When I was a little boy living in Anuradhapura I have witnessed those passing by get off bicycles, remove their hats and pay respects. That memorial has been destroyed now. Those who claim to be coming from that dynasty of Dutugemunu are proscribing the planting of a tree in remembrance of the dead. This will give an indication as to what extent our people have degraded culture and religion. When the Police told us, we decided not to go against the law. I called the Agriculture Minister Iyangaranesan and said we should not violate the law. I instructed him to make arrangements to tell everyone of our people to plant a tree in their own compound and light candles in their houses in a private capacity.
"These instructions by the Government only motivate the people to remember our dead relatives. The culture of the Tamils goes with the nature. The Karthihai flower blossoms well in November,it is in the same context that the commemoration day of our departed occurs. I hereby declare that the Tree planting campaign at the Thanthai Selva Memorial site in Jaffna is cancelled." Wigneswaran argued that the tree planting ceremony was to remember the late S.J.V. Chelvanayakam, leader of the now defunct Federal Party. He is revered by the Tamils and referred to popularly as "Thanthai Chelva" or Father Chelva."
A response to Wigneswaran's statement came from Military Spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya. He told the Sunday Times, "It is a political statement and I do not want to comment on that aspect. However, I would say that you cannot compare Elara to a ruthless terrorist organisation like the LTTE. They were cowards who killed their own people and cannot be equated to either Elara or Dutugemunu."
This week's events in the north have further strained relations between Chief Minister Wigneswaran and Northern Province Governor retired Major General G.A. Chandrasiri. The TNA has complained that a secretary posted to serve the Chief Minister was moved out by Governor Chandrasiri. A replacement had to be obtained. Two successive secretaries assigned to the Provincial Ministry of Fisheries have also been moved out, they allege. Governor Chandrasiri reacted angrily. He told the Sunday Times "Tell them to read the Provincial Council Act. There is a Provincial Public Service Commission. The Governor has the power to carry out transfers. I am acting constitutionally."
Yesterday, Chief Minister Wigneswaran told a meeting in Kilinochchi that there were attempts to kill him. He said if that happened, he would emerge as a Mahathma or a great soul. The TNA continues to insist that Governor Chandrasiri be replaced with a civilian official. Government sources said yesterday that he may receive a diplomatic posting. Wigneswaran is expected to leave for India this month. A meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be in his itinerary.
With a catalogue of new priorities before it, the UPFA Government is now headed into the New Year. A test of strength will surely come when polls are held early next year for the Western Provincial Council. Unfortunately, the fractured main opposition United National Party (UNP) has not been able so far to turn the spotlight on the billion rupee extravaganzas and gigantic expenditure on projects that the country is undertaking with money that is borrowed or unaccounted for. Nor has it been able to effectively campaign against the skyrocketing levels of bribery, corruption and commissions. The UNP is busy putting its house in order. This is whilst the carnival of expenditure of public projects continues.