Letters to the Editor

Coal power plant: Can the CEB enlighten us?
I refer to the comments made by the CEB General Manager with regard to the Norochcholai coal power plant (The Sunday Times of October 16, 2005). He said that "all technical planning has been meticulously carried out, excluding one major component — the need to educate the public on the workings of the project".

Could the General Manager please educate the general public with regard to the following?

1) The method employed to unload imported coal at Norochcholai? Whether unloading will take place at a 4.5km jetty as proposed by the Swiss company Electrowatt or whether coal would be unloaded on to barges in mid-sea as required by the Danish company Ramboll.

2) The Danish consultants were employed, we were told, to establish an alternate means to unload coal as it was impossible to unload coal on to a pier at the proposed site. If the CEB is now reverting to the building of a 4.5km jetty, what was the purpose of employing the Danish consultants?

5) Why did the CEB employ consultants from Switzerland, which has no coal power stations? Were these Swiss consultants appointed under the established tender procedure? If not, why?

7) How many transmission lines are needed to feed the total generated power of 900 MW to the national grid? At which point will the generated power be fed in to the national grid?

9) What is the extent of land which will be acquired for the transmission lines? Under such acquisition what is the extent of coconut land that would be cleared to install the power lines?

10) What is the extent of jungle area that would be acquired and deforested to accommodate the power lines?

11) Is Norochcholai the only site (except Trincomalee) where a coal power station could be built?

12) Has the CEB entered in to a construction contract with a Chinese company to undertake the construction of the power station?

13) Did the CEB call public tenders to build the coal power station at Norochcholai? If not then under what procedure has this Chinese contractor been selected?

14) Has the Chinese contractor presented his technical and other details with regard to the proposed development and obtained the approval of the Cabinet?

15) If there was no proposal made to the CEB and if there was no evaluation conducted by a Cabinet Appointed Tender Board (CATB), what was the contract that the General Manager signed in Beijing?

17) A minister has petitioned the Bribery Commissioner with regard to the purchase of computers for the Prime Minister's office during the last regime.
Can the General Manager give reason as to why the same minister should not present a complaint to the Bribery Commissioner with regard to the present agreement?

Incidentally, could he also clarify as to why the CEB that employs some 400 engineers or more has to revert to hiring a paid consultant to speak on behalf of the CEB? Is it because the CEB engineers were unaware of the contract the General Manager signed in Beijing?

Lack of ethics on TV shows
During my visit to Sri Lanka, I had the opportunity to view a number of political debates on TV. It is my understanding that the purpose of such debates is to discuss political principles, party manifestos and other relevant matters and educate the public.

The two main contenders (with no offence to the other 11 presidential candidates) are men of experience with a political history of more than 25 years behind them.

It is unfortunate that some of their representatives, who are supposed to enhance the image of these leaders and their prospects, are not equal to the task they are entrusted with. They do more harm than building up the image of their leaders, while creating an impression of disgust in the minds of the public. It is also unfortunate that the young moderators of the debates too cut a sorry figure in being helpless to control their invitees to the panel of discussion.
It is quite evident that most of these representatives at the debates are immature and inexperienced but behave in front of the television camera with arrogance and a sense of all-knowing pundits.

In a political debate what is expected to be discussed in a dignified manner are principles, manifestos and their implementation. However, what we witness mud-slinging and debaters ridiculing the physical characteristics of the two main contenders.

In Britain, one sees a different picture in programmes like Question Time or Face to Face interviews with politicians where all parties concerned strictly adhere to party principles and policy implementation and so on. At no time, will they engage in debates where character assassination is part of the game.

Even if a minor remark is made with the intent of slinging mud at the adversaries, such behaviour will be seen by the general public as despicable and unethical. Any such unethical behaviour by a politician will most likely result in political death.

Although we cannot expect such disciplined behaviour from some Sri Lankan politicians, we however believe that the two main contenders do have the ability to nominate people of culture in the interest of their own-selves and the public.

As a lawyer, I would like to see the two main contenders who are lawyers themselves choose proper persons — lawyers or others to represent them at these debates as well as elsewhere to promote the need to preserve the ethical norms of the profession.

Senior citizens’ plea to the presidential contenders
A whole gamut of promises is being made by the two main contenders of the presidency. The hype and brouhaha attached to the declarations holding out a wonderful future for the hoi polloi are marvellous. They have promised us virtually heaven on earth.

We hope and pray that the future President will definitely deliver as undertaken. Let us not harbour doubts about their generous intentions. Until now, the common man had to groan, grin and bear all the vicissitudes in utter disgust. It was the fait accompli thrust upon him by the powers that be, who lived in clover at their expense. Those miserable days are over according to the proponents.

Senior citizens who exist on lifelong medication in their dotage living mainly on the interest earned through fixed deposits expect the future President to alleviate their suffering by granting them a higher rate of interest.

Very many of them have deposited their Provident Fund benefits as well. Recently, I read an article in the print media by a former Deputy Accountant of the Central Bank regarding vast profits earned by state banks. A certain portion of such profits could easily be diverted to the fixed deposit accounts of senior citizens. The interest rate was 22 percent per annum during the placid days of yore when Dr. N.M. Perera was in the Ministry of Finance. Just imagine the present woeful rate of 11 percent!

We earnestly urge both main contenders to clarify this matter and put the senior citizens’ doubts to rest.

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