• Multinational undercurrents in bill?
• Inter-Con bowing out abruptly
• Ice cream seller in alleged sex offence
• Doc arrested over traffic dispute
• Pro-Palestine rally let down
• Docs abroad left in the lurch
• No drop-outs from polio drops
• Proposal to make ministers accountable
• To top school with false papers
• MPs' staff not paid their salaries
• President to meet Blair
• Innocent targets
• Beira clean-up bogged down
• Low cost high return projects badly needed in Matara: Sagala
• Unwilling to take a back seat while militants reign: TULF MP
• Teenage girl's dreams blasted
• Millennium triplets get helping hand from HNB
• Police pounce on armed gangs
• Special IDs for disabled soldiers 
• Sanath returns
• Info Dept's faux pas over UK visit
• The vision of 'our urumaya' beyond politics
• Time to reform antiquated mental health laws
• The inherent limits of the Norwegian peace initiative

Multinational undercurrents in bill?

By Hiranthi Fernando

Amidst allegation and speculation about a water tax for farmers and attempts by farmers to exploit Sri Lankas resources, the ministry in charge is maintaining some secrecy.

But The Sunday Times learns that a draft bill providing for a pricing policy for water is to be introduced in Parliament next year. 

The policy document, which is of utmost importance to the public is not available either to the public or the media. A copy of it has been obtained by The Sunday Times through other sources.

Officials of the Water Resources Secretariat, say that they have received instructions that the policy document should not be released without authorization of the Secretary to the Ministry of Water Resource Management, although it had earlier been given on request. 

The Secretary however said that the approval to release the document should come from the Minister. 

The Minister in charge of the subject, Dr. Sarath Amunugama when contacted initially said that it was merely some notes made by IWMI. It was only when we made known that we had in fact seen the document, that he acknowledged its existence.

'It is very clear, they are planning to charge for water, although the Minister denies it', said Hemantha Withanage, Executive Director, Environmental Foundation. 

'The Government can manage it for the people. The Government is trying to use pricing policy for a basic need. We recognize that water has to be protected and conserved. We don't agree on the pricing' he said..

Further, Mr. Withanage pointed out that the transferable entitlement will give an opportunity to the private sector to enter into the water business. Who can take water entitlements?, he questioned.

The draft bill is being based on a report published by the Water Resources Secretariat established by the National Planning Department of the Ministry of Finance and Planning . The Cabinet had granted approval to the document early this year, but details of it have not been released.

The scope of the National Water Resources Policy applies to all fresh and brackish water in Sri Lanka but not to marine water. It includes all surface and groundwater and all river basins. 

The Sunday Times learns that the draft bill is being prepared to set up an institute, the National Water Resources Authority (NWRA) for overall management of water resources. 

A Water Resources Council will be set up for coordination and advisory functions and a Water Resources Tribunal for hearing and resolving appeals regarding the allocation of water has been proposed. 

According to the principles which guide the policy, 'All water resources, including both surface and groundwater, are owned by the state and will be managed by the Government in partnership with water users on behalf of all Sri Lankans'.

It also states, 'the security of supply for water users will be increased through a system of water entitlements which are effectively monitored and enforced. At the same time, entitlements will be transferable, allowing water to be used for higher value purposes', the document said.

The policy further states that the costs of water resource management will be shared in an equitable manner with beneficiaries. The Government will provide a subsidy for those water users who are not currently able to pay a share of these costs.

According to the policy, water entitlements will be granted to group schemes (urban water systems, irrigation schemes etc) and larger water users. Small scale users and individual users supplied through group schemes will be exempt from the requirement to hold an entitlement. 

Water will be delivered to individual farmers under delivery agreements which will form the individual's water right. 

Entitlements will be granted for a fixed period of time and will be renewable. Although authorities say that sources such as small private wells will be exempt from levies, the policy states that local governments will be encouraged to register small wells and apply guidelines. 

An Executive Summary of the Policy was put out by the Water Resources Council & Secretariat in April 2000.

President of Nature Conservation Group (NATCOG), Piyal Parakrama says that policy, recommended by the World Bank, will result in attempts by large multinational groups, to take over of our valuable resource of water for their own advantage. 

' Sri Lanka has an average rainfall of 2000 mm. as against the world average of 750 mm.', he said. 'It has been acknowledged that a shortage of water in the world is expected in the future. So it will be a profitable venture' he said. 

Inter-Con bowing out abruptly

By Tania Fernando

People who have planned functions to be held at the Hotel Ceylon Inter-continental have been left in a quandary as the hotel is closing down with immediate effect.

After 27 years in the fore front of the luxury hospitality industry the hotel is calling it a day in Colombo. 

Weddings and other functions to be held have been cancelled and monies refunded to the parties concerned. Staff members say they had to face the anger of the people whose bookings were cancelled.

Top management sources said hotelier U.K.Sharma who took over the hotel last year had not fallen in line with the guidelines set by the parent company of the international chain.

They said that when Mr. Sharma took over he had promised to raise it to six star level but only a few renovations had been made.

Accounts officials said the hotel was paying US$ 2.4 million as compensation to more than 300 employees. 

The guests now staying at the hotel seem to be unaware of the closure, but they are likely to be transferred to nearby hotels.

But most of the hotel employees are painfully aware and sad that Sri Lanka's first five star hotel-which stood majestically over Colombo long before the others came up is taking a bow.

Mr. Sharma was not available for comment but a senior executive said he was likely to re-open the hotel later under a new name.

The executive said Mr. Sharma had asked most employees to stay on but they were not keen as they would not be in the Inter-continental chain.

Ice cream seller in alleged sex offence

Negligence by parents has led to a seven-year-old girl being sexually molested by a pied piper of Hamelin type of salesman.

The salesman who is alleged to have molested her when she had gone to buy ice cream sold by him had left by the time an adult had appeared. Since it was afternoon and there was no one around at that time he had allegedly sexually harassed the child and left without any adult noticing the incident.

Two other children playing in the vicinity had seen the incident and reported it to an adult, by which time the vendor had left the area.

The salesman who has adopted a pied piper sales strategy had most children flocking to him to purchase his product, sometimes without the supervision of an adult. Parents are sometimes unaware of the danger that could occur at a time like this and often leave the children unsupervised. The company selling the ice cream, when contacted, claimed it was willing to take action, but the parents are hesitant and unwilling to expose the child further as the consequences might scar their daughter.

Although the company further claims it has not received any other complaints of this nature, The Sunday Times learns that there have been other isolated incidents, where the parents were reluctant to come forward.

"We don't directly employ those who go on the sales rounds. It is a third party recruitment and is done by our distributor", an official of the company said. He added that when they inquired into the incident, they discovered that the salesman who usually covers the route was on leave and therefore it could have been any other person.

He also said that they have many salesmen covering a particular area and therefore to trace the person would not be an easy task, but would look into it if the child and parents were willing to come forward.

A company official says that it is possible to identify the sales persons by an identification number on the hood of the vehicle. They are looking at additionally displaying the name and address of the distributor, he said.

Doc arrested over traffic dispute

A doctor who tried to park his car near Union Place is alleged to have assaulted a traffic police officer after an argument, Kompannaveediya police claimed.

The policeman on duty near the popular shopping complex was allegedly assaulted when he told the doctor not to park the vehicle. Some threewheeler drivers on the scene are alleged to have assaulted the doctor who was later arrested and allowed bail. The doctor was not available for comment.

Pro-Palestine rally let down

A meeting organized by Minister Mahinda Rajapakse as president of the Palestinian Friendship Federation has turned into an embarrassing fiasco, with the chief guest absenting himself without explanation. 

The meeting was held last week in Beruwala to discuss the crisis situation in West Asia. The invitation has been formally sent and accepted by Media Ministry Secretary Janadasa Peiris, who failed to turn. An angry member of the Federation told The Sunday Times, Minister Rajapakse had, in desperation, to call upon UNP parliamentarian Imtiaz Bakeer Marker to make an impromptu keynote address to the gathering, although he was only an invitee. 

Docs abroad left in the lurch

The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) has called on the Health Ministry to take immediate steps to pay due allowances to consultants on their final year of training abroad.

The allowance amounting to Rs. 80,000 a month has not been allocated to 72 doctors receiving specialised training overseas, since last month. The GMOA reported that the doctors will have to return to Sri Lanka without completing their training lacking money to pay for their lodging and other expenses.

No drop-outs from polio drops

Volunteers from Rotary Clubs and the staff of the Public Health Department will visit homes today to ensure that all children under the age of five have received the second round of the polio vaccine at the immunization programme held yesterday.

The mopping-up campaign is a follow up to ensure that all children received the second round of the vaccination. 

The Sub-National Polio Immunization programme was held at 200 centres in Colombo city yesterday because the coverage during the previous immunization days had been low.

The Public Health Department of the Colombo Municipal Council targeted those who have failed to get the vaccine during the previous immunization days.

The areas identified to have had the lowest coverage include Cinnamon Gardens, Kollupitiya, Bambalapitiya, Havelock Town, Milagiriya, Kirulapone, Narahenpita, Wellawatte and Borella.

The mopping-up campaign will give all those children who could not get immunized an opportunity to do so at home.

Proposal to make ministers accountable

An opposition Parliamentarian has proposed that legislation be introduced to make ministers responsible for all activities in their respective ministries, including all departments and institutions coming under their administration.

UNP parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake has given notice of a motion to the Secretary General of Parliament calling for the immediate introduction of laws to make it 'mandatorily obligatory' on the part of Cabinet ministers to accept vicarious liability for all the activities of the ministry and affiliated institutions coming under their purview.

To top school with false papers

By Shane Seneviratne

A complaint lodged by a parent who claims that 43 parents had used forged documents to admit their children into the Year One class of a leading boys' school in the area, is being investigated by Kandy Police. 

The complaint states that the parents had submitted forged water and electricity bills and forged deeds of residences.

The police have already questioned the parents and are to take action against the children following an order from the Education Ministry. The police have opened separate files for the 43 cases.

The 43 students who faced the first interview have gained admission to the school. 

Ironically the five year olds will have a police record even before they step into school. 

MPs' staff not paid their salaries

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti

The trouble-plagued House by the Diyawanna Oya seems to be having another problem with personal staff members of legislators complaining of not being paid salaries during the past two months as the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has failed to issue the necessary letters of appointment.

Parliamentary sources said that the House has been functioning since mid October as it had met soon after the general election to approve the extension of the emergency.

Sources confirmed that parliamentarians had nominated their personal staff and had forwarded the names over one and a half months ago for the issuing of the official letters of appointment, which has so far not been done. A parliamentarian is entitled to a personal staff unit of four- a driver, peon, secretary and stenographer.

MPs lament that they have to pocket out the salaries of staff at the moment and allege misuse of already allocated funds. 

A Ministry source said that it would take a fortnight to regularize the payments, as new letters have to be prepared for the purpose, which also involved a process of checking the previous appointees. But parliamentarians allege that this expenditure has already been provided in the budget estimates for the year 2000 for 25 legislators, arguing that there shouldn't be a problem in making the payments.

Adding another dimension to the problem, it is learned that the personal staff of legislators of the Tenth Parliament has not been paid their gratuity during the past six years as well. 

A member of a parliamentarian's personal staff acquires the right to a gratuity payment after a period of five years like other employees. The non-payment has adversely affected drivers and peons who await these payments to do some post-retirement investments, a Colombo district government legislator explained. Some of these persons have served defeated parliamentarians, which has made the problem more difficult as they are no longer in service and therefore unable to push their cases.

President to meet Blair

President Chandrika Kumaratunga who is on an official visit to Britain is schedule to meet Prime Minister Tony Blair in the coming week.

Last week President Kumaratunga met Queen Elizabath at Buckingham Palace and held discussions with Foreign Secretary Robin Cook at the Foreign Office on matters of mutual interest.

She also met Junior Trade Secretary Richard Caborn to discuss more investments and invited a British delgation to study projects in Sri Lanka's sector.

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