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Galle Port sails high with yacht tourism
By Gamini Mahadura
The number of globe-trotting pleasure yachts calling over at the Galle Port is expected to double this year, a senior Ports Authority official said attributing the rise to the peace process and the improved facilities at the harbour.

Pointing out that the Galle Port is the only Sri Lankan port that provides facilities for pleasure yachts, the official said that for the first six months of this year, 92 yachts had called over at the port.

The official said the average figure for the past three years was around 110.
"The International Yacht Society has recognized that the Galle Port is one of the world's best ports. Many yachts arrive here via Thailand. The majority of the yachts which arrive in the Galle Port set sail from England, America, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Holland, New Zealand and France," the official said.

According to the official, on an average a yacht anchors for a month at the port and the Ports Authority charges 100 dollars a day from a yacht. The increase in arrival of these yachts has revived the tourism industry of the country in general and Galle in particular.

Many tourists who visit Sri Lanka in these yachts anchor them in the Galle Port and proceed to visit tourist attractions in places such as Sigiriya, Kandy, Hikkaduwa, Polonnaruwa and other areas..

Police chief orders arrest of CWC men
By Shanika Udawatte
Police Chief T E Anandarajah has ordered the arrest of CWC activists who allegedly placed road blocks and disrupted traffic during a recent protest against the implementation of the Upper Kotmale Hydropower Project.

Mr. Anandarajah told The Sunday Times that action would be taken against those who were involved in the incident irrespective of their political affiliations.

The Ceylon Workers Congress members led by Minister Arumugam Thondaman brought traffic to a halt in Nuwara Eliya when they demonstrated against the Upper Kotmale Project which they said would affect the lives of the people and the environment.

DIG Central Province W.M. Ariyaratne said he was seeking the advice of the Attorney General to take action against the CWC politicians who allegedly flouted the law during the protest.

Right of reply
The World Bank office in Colombo responding to an article carried in The Sunday Times last week titled "World Bank wants top officials retained in education project" has said:

'The World Bank did, in a supervision report dated June 13, mention the need to consider carefully the staff requirements and the need to fill staff vacancies urgently for the two project coordination units to function effectively. However, the World Bank has not expressed concern over a government decision to end the services of three top officials in charge of an education reforms project as stated in your opening sentence.

The World Bank's concern in that report was that vacancies should not remain unfilled for lengthy periods of time. The employment of specific project coordination unit staff of all World Bank funded projects in Sri Lanka remains the responsibility of the Government of Sri Lanka. The World Bank respects the personnel recruitment policy of the government and maintains a neutral position on specific appointments, provided only that they meet the conditions set out in the job descriptions.’

Campus strike on the cards
By Nilika Kasturisinghe
Funding shortages has led to a crisis in the university system, with more than 15,000 non-academic staff threatening a strike on Thur-sday. A spokesman for a non-academic trade union said the token strike would be held in support of their demand that a special allowance that was stopped recently be restored immediately.

The allowance was stopped due to a slash in the funds allocated for universities. Furt-hermore, some categories of the university staff are paid an allowance, which is withheld from the Non Academic Staff according to the union spokesman. He said the university non-academic staff faced numerous problems and were discriminated against with regard to promotions and perks.

"The non-academic university cadres are better qualified, but they receive fewer benefits when compared to other public servants. Even to get a loan, they have to be on the waiting list for years," he added.

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