Heavy rains: more questions than light

The Ceylon Electricity Board has said power cuts will continue this week and will be relaxed only if catchment areas receive more rain. The announcement fuelled speculation that power cuts have been prolonged for generator businessmen with powerful political connections to sell their stocks.

But CEB officials dismissing such speculation said power cuts were not eased because water levels in some of the main reservoirs were still below average despite catchment areas experiencing rains in double digits.

"We can only think of relaxing the power cuts if the water levels in Victoria, Randen-igala and Samanala-wewa improve," a CEB official said.

These reservoirs received little or no rain during the 24 hours ended 9 a.m. yesterday. 

But catchment areas such as Norton and Canyon received a rainfall of 97 mm while Castlereigh received 62.5 mm, Kotmale 60, Laxapana 88, Mousekelle 78 and Ukuwela 26.5.

The graphic shows comparative water-level figures of last week and this week in main reservoirs.

Top official allegedly attacked by politico

Assistant Registrar T. M. Premasiri said that when the organiser Ananda Wasantha Nanayakkara and his bodyguards came there thinking it was the GA's office, he informed them they had come to the wrong place.

"He made no introduction of himself and as it was prohibited for outsiders to use this entrance, I told him so and showed an alternative entrance. He first scolded the women in filth and then scolded me in front of the staff and the public. Later he and his three body guards assaulted me with whatever was at hand in my office and those who rushed to my rescue were also assaulted," Mr. Premasiri told The Sunday Times. He has lodged a complaint to the Bambalapitiya police and his superiors, asking for more security and protection. The chief clerk,. S.M. Gunathilaka was also hurt badly.

When The Sunday Times reporters went to the scene, administrative officer George Kulatunga initially denied the incident and then asked why the media were trying to spotlight small incidents.

He even warned and threatened the reporters though some of his staff were still in shock and pain.

Though the administrative officer was apparently downplaying the incident, Divisional Secretariat staff struck work in protest against what they described as state terror and thuggery by fourth level politicians. 

Hundreds of people who had come there for Samurdhi payments and other purposes were left stranded. Several trade unions have petitioned the President asking for tough action against 'political mafias.'The SLFP politico was out of Colombo and not available for comment.

Slow move to austerity

One clause of the MoU stresses the need to find alternate buildings at lesser cost to the government for ministries and state institutions, if they are presently housed in buildings paying high rents.

The Ports Development and Development of the South Ministry has moved out of the World Trade Centre where the daily rent for office space was around Rs. 100,000, sources said.

However two other Ministries, those of Posts and Telecommunication and Information and Media still occupy the WTC paying exorbitant rents. 

PM, Ranil call for names

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti

The constitutional council is empowered in turn to appoint members to the four independent commissions for elections, the police, the public service and the judiciary. According to UNP sources, UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for nominations by Tuesday so that he could finalise matters at a party leaders' meeting on Thursday.

At the party leaders' meeting, it is expected that both the prime minister and the opposition leader would finalise the names they intend proposing to enable them to complete the process of appointments by Saturday.

CJ pleads: justice to common people

Warning of a growing opinion among common people that criminals were taking the law into their hands, the Chief Justice said that while maximum security was being ensured for VIPs, little enthusiasm was shown regarding the grievances of the common people.

Addressing a ceremony to mark the opening of the modern Colombo Magistrate's Court building, the Chief Justice said various shortcomings should be remedied to win the confidence of the common people that justice would be upheld not only in big cases but also in small cases.

Attorney General K.C. Kamalasabayson echoing the Chief Justice's view said the interest of the common people should be given top priority.

Health curse turned into cushions

At a meeting held at the People's Education Centre in Malabe, the groups said they were collecting tens of thousands of thrown-away polythene or siri siri bags as part of a dengue prevention campaign. These bags besides being breeding spots for dengue carrying mosquitoes are also known to seriously affect the fertility of the soil when they are indiscriminately thrown. Even if they are burnt the fumes are known to cause cancer. But the grassroots groups from Moneragala, Bentara, Negombo and other places have now found a way out of the siri siri culture. They are collecting thousands of such bags and making lovely cushions out of them. 

School children and other groups have been drawn into the campaign to collect the thrown-away bags. About 400 bags of normal size are needed to make a cushion with the polythene cut into little bits. It could be done in any home.

Other common items collected in the dengue-related clean-up programme are coconut shells. These are turned into charcoal and sold to places like laundries. 

A spokesman for the People's Education Centre (Praja Adhyapana Madyathanaya) said the theme of their campaign was health as a means to peace. This group and others will be taking part in a worldwide Day of Peace on Tuesday to mark Mahathma Gandhi Day. 

More News/Comment

Return to News/Comment Contents