Funds totalling Rs. 9.606 billion are available for highways projects this year, he said. Of this sum which comprises Foreign Assistance, Reimbursable Foreign Assistance and money from the Consolidated Fund, Rs. 1.7 billion has been set apart for work on the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway.

Last year more than ten billion rupees was spent on road maintenance, rehabilitation and widening and construction of national highways and bridges. While large projects such as construction of expressways drain the funding set aside for highways the condition of roads deteriorates each day. At present about 108,000 kilometres of the road network of which 11,547 kilometres are paved roads have been classified as National Highways which are maintained by the Road Development Authority (RDA) while the Provincial Councils maintain about 15,000 kilometres of roads.

During 2001, the RDA spent Rs. 10,456 million on maintenance, rehabilitation, and road widening and construction of national highways and bridges. Of this total expenditure, about 64 percent was from the Consolidated Fund, while the balance was from foreign assistance.

Less violence, subdued campaign for local polls

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti and Harinda Vidanage
Despite a few incidents of violence marring the local government election campaign in the run up to the poll for the remaining 17 councils scheduled for tomorrow, the campaigns outside Colombo were conducted in a rather subdued manner.

With the ruling UNF sweeping the polls in March this year, the general election campaign of the UNP in the respective areas is rather elaborate with small rallies being scheduled for today with key ministers like Karu Jayasuriya and S.B. Dissanayake in attendance. Meanwhile, the main opposition PA's campaign is subdued while the JVP has launched a vigorous campaign at rural level.

Polls will be held tomorrow for the election of members for the Galle and Ratnapura municipal councils, Katunayake, Seeduwa, Peliyagoda, Ratnapura, Panadura and Tangalle urban councils and the Kesbewa, Mihintale, Thirappane Ambagahawela, Nattandiya, Hali Ela and Moneragala pradeshiya sabhas.

The Centre for Monitoring Elections (CMEV) said that already 60 complaints have been recorded, most of them by the UNP. The CMEV also claimed that according to its reports, the level of violence was high in areas where PA nominations were rejected.
According to the CMEV, 60 incidents of violence have been reported so far with more coming in which are yet to be inquired into. Out of a total of 60, 33 incidents are serious offences. The UNF has lodged 24 complaints while the PA has lodged 23 complaints, the JVP 8 and the SLMC a single complaint respectively.

Meanwhile, the Police Elections Desk has so far recorded over 10 complaints of violence. DIG Gamini Navaratne who heads the desk said the unit would function till the day following election day to record the incidents associated with the poll. Commenting on the UNP election campaign party spokesman Gayantha Karunatilleke said the rural campaign was spearheaded by key Cabinet ministers experienced in campaigning. He said the UNP would record a clean sweep this time also, going by the mandate received by the UNP three months ago at the local elections. According to him, there were isolated incidents of violence that were not instigated by the UNP but by those who expect to lose the election this week.

However, SLFP general secretary Maithripala Sirisena said that they were not satisfied with the election campaigns as the SLFP was often prevented from conducting political activities by UNP goons. "We are contesting under extreme difficulties. Many of our key organisers who are parliamentarians were under arrest until recently. The local poll was conducted in a brutal and corrupt manner and we don't expect good results for any party other than the ruling UNP " he said.

In this backdrop, PA general secretary D.M. Jayaratne has complained against the UNP to the Elections Commissioner regarding the UNP's agreement to replace the Liberal Party candidates of the Ratnapura UC by UNF candidates. With the nomination papers of the UNP for the Ratnapura MC being rejected by the Election Commissioner, the UNP had come to an arrangement with the Liberal Party to replace its candidates with UNP candidates.

With regard to the JVP election campaign, party spokesman Wimal Weerawansa said the JVP was confident of further success, especially in the Hambantota district.
A close contest is likely in the Tangalle urban council area as the JVP's recent win at the co-operative society elections has strengthened the party's position at village level.

Standing firm on Sinhala rights
The Sinhala MPs' Group which held an adishtana pooja at Anuradhapura last week to safeguard the rights of the Sinhala people living in the North and East is scheduled to hold a similar pooja in Kataragama next month.

The pooja which called on the Government to safeguard the rights of the Sinhala people living in those areas was held to signify the LTTE attack on hundreds of devotees in the vicinity of the Sri Maha Bodhi 17 years ago. The organiser of the pooja, Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera told The Sunday Times that the Group has also organised several protests in the outstations.

"The next adishtana pooja will be held in Kataragama next month. We will continue to conduct such poojas islandwide, in order to get the people involved and also to create a public awareness" he said.

Apart from holding protest rallies the MPs' Group has decided to launch a program to rebuild historical places in the North and East, which were destroyed.

Another Navy-LTTE clash at sea averted
Another deep sea encounter between Tiger guerrillas and the Sri Lanka Navy was averted at the eleventh hour. This time, it was over a flotilla carrying more than 200 armed cadres on boats equipped with heavy guns. The guerrillas wanted to move from the Sea Tiger base in Chalai (north of Mullaitivu) to Vakarai (north of Batticaloa).
A Navy flotilla which observed preparations for the move radioed the guerrilla boats advising them against it. They were warned of a possible confrontation and the guerrillas backed out.

The Norwegian-led monitoring committee, which had on an earlier occasion admitted to committing what it called a "terrible mistake" by not informing Colombo of LTTE requests for troop and supplies movements by sea, this time had passed down the request from the LTTE to the government peace secretariat with a request for permission.

The secretariat had informed the Norwegians that the request was a violation of section 1.7 of the ceasefire agreement and had urged the monitors to restrain the LTTE from this exercise. The LTTE had, however, informed the Norwegian monitors that it was proceeding nevertheless, at which point the secretariat asked the Norwegians to inform the LTTE that the Navy would be instructed to intercept the LTTE movement.The LTTE does not recognise Colombo's exclusive rights in the eastern waters, but Colombo has provided a unilateral annexure to the MoU saying it will exercise its right to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country at sea.

Following this stand-off, the LTTE stood down and cancelled its movement of cadres and supplies to avoid a confrontation with the Navy. A fortnight ago, the Navy fired on a suspected LTTE boat carrying ammunition off Batticaloa, after the LTTE also exploded one of its own boats fearing arrest by the Navy.

Walapane bomb kills two
At least two people were killed and five were critically injured in a bomb attack on a house at Udamaluwa in Walapane last night, Police said. They said they beleived a long standing dispute between two rival groups was the reason behind the attack.

Did minister break park rules?
The Director of the Wildlife Conservation Department is yet to receive a report from the Assistant Director of the Yala park on a complaint against a senior Cabinet Minister who was said to have gone off-road while on a safari three weeks ago.

Director of the Department Dayananda Kariyawasam told The Sunday Times the report is expected within the next few days. " I have called for a report but there has been a delay. I expect it by next week. Once I get the report appropriate action will be taken" he said.

The incident occurred a few weeks when visitors to the Yala National Park lodged a complaint with the Wild Life Department against Minister Alick Aluvihare and his family for breaking park rules by going off-road in their vehicle. Meanwhile the Aluvihare family had denied the charge and called for a report from the tracker who led them to find out if they had gone off-road as complained by other visitors.

The minister's private secretary, his son Daljith, told The Sunday Times he is yet to get a statement from the tracker.

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