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Unions march against 'sell-out'
By Nilika de Silva
More than 20 trade unions are to take part in a show of strength against privatisation and the government's other economic policies next Thursday October 24, an organiser said.

He said the protest which would be on the scale of the July 1980 strike would take up issues including privatisation, labour reforms, sale of national resources, displacement of people due to development activity and handing-over the pension fund to the private sector.

These trade unions will meet at different points in Colombo, hold picketing campaigns and then march onto Hyde park.

The demonstration will be attended by the UPTO, PSUNU, Joint Railways Front, Irrigation Department Workers Front, Ceylon Bank Employees Union, SL Janaraja Sevaka Sangamaya, Lake House Employees Union, Samurdhi Society, Insurance Corporation Employees Front, Ceylon Electricity Board Employees Union, Public Sector Trade Union, Government Employees Samithi Sammelanaya, Peoples Bank Officials Union, Inter Company Employees Union and Government Teachers Union.

Civic action groups including environmental organisations, organisations representing people who will be displaced due to the expressway projects and the airport expansion project, human rights organisations, women's Organisations and student organisations will also participate, the organisers say.

North-East rail restoration on track
A feasibility project to reconstruct the North-East railway lines has been launched by a consortium of Australian companies, a spokesman for the consortium said.

He said stage one of the feasibility study which began on Monday in Jaffna was completed by Friday and it had revealed that the damage was far more than they had ever envisaged.

He said many rail bridges, stations and staff quarters had to be rebuilt while signals at crossings and stations and the communication network had to be replaced.

He said the survey was being funded by Australia and several European countries.

A Transport Ministry official said once the survey was completed, the Ministry would call for tenders to select contractors to undertake this multi-million rupee project which will include relaying the 266 kilometre Northern track stretching 160 kms from Vavuniya to Kankesanturai and 106 kms from Medawachchiya to Talaimannar Pier.

A shopping centre in Chavakachcheri. Pic by Athula Devapriya
More visitors, more crime With the influx of tourists to Jaffna, the crime rate is on the rise, police have warned.

They said many pick-pockets and petty thieves had come into the peninsula from other areas with the improvement in the security situation.

While some residents and visitors to the area have complained to the police regarding lost purses, wrist watches and chains, others have complained to the LTTE office.

Police also said incidents of house break-ins was on the rise.Citing a recent case of theft, police said in Atchchuveli a woman who claimed to be from a distant village had asked a householder for overnight shelter and the following day had gone missing with a Thali valued at Rs. 50,000. Police said the snatch thieves usually travelled on motorcycles and robbed gold chains from women.

Boom in trade and prices
Colombo's restaurant owners have rushed to open up eating houses in Jaffna, while residents are renovating houses to provide lodgings to local tourists, mainly from the south.

Over the past few weeks new eating houses have come up on the wayside, offering a variety of foods. Residents are also giving out rooms for prices varying from Rs. 250 upwards.

On an average 2000 to 3000 people visit the peninsula over the weekend. This figure was much higher immediately following the opening of the A9 road.

Among the visitors from the south are family members and friends of soldiers stationed in the north.

With the boom in arrivals, trade is also picking up with Palmyra products, grapes and prawns fetching high prices.

A kilo of grapes has increased from Rs. 50 to Rs. 125 while prawns have shot up from Rs. 150 a kilo to an average of Rs. 400.

The prices of Palmyra products including toddy and jaggery have also increased while the Palmyra fruit which had little demand till now, is being sold by residents at Rs. 10 .

Bananas and wood apple have also gone up in price.

Artistes come to Jaffna
A four-day conference on art and literature on the theme "the liberation struggle of Eelam Tamils and the role played by the media in art and literature towards the direction of human liberation", started yesterday at Veerasingham Hall.

The conference organised by the Cultural Affairs Unit of the Tamil Eelam, the Nitharshanan T.V. and 'Tamil Thai' Publishers - three components of the LTTE's political wing - drew writers and artists from all over the country, Tamil writers from European countries and artistes from India.

Prominent guests from India included pro LTTE politician and leader of 'Viduthalai Sirutthaigal' in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Thirumavalavan, poet Inkulap, artist Maruthu, writer P. Jayaprakasam and Pukalenthi Thankaraja, director of "Kaatukenna Veili", a banned Tamil film in India,

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