Untitled Document

Winning the race in 13 days!
It's a multi million dollar deal that affects every citizen of Sri Lanka. There is no exception. This is the move to introduce a Computerised Personal National Identification (CPINS) to provide every citizen with a new identity card, that is tamper proof, durable and plastic based. This will replace the existing National Identity Card (NIC).

Weeks before President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga took over the Ministry of Interior, hectic moves were afoot to conclude a deal early.

Now, after President Kumaratunga's take over of the Ministry comes a public announcement (On December 13) in the media. It is an "Invitation for Pre-Qualifying for the Establishment of a Computerized National Personal Identification System and a Central Database in Sri Lanka." That is from the Cabinet appointed Tender Board.
This invitation for quotations, curious enough, ends on January 1, next year. In other words someone somewhere wants the "pre qualification" work to be completed in just 13 days. That is on a deal that will concern every Sri Lankan.

Since a project of this magnitude cannot be handled by Sri Lankan companies on their own, foreign expertise will undoubtedly become necessary. Whoever wants to rush through the "pre qualification" exercise seems to ignore the fact that most business concerns in the outside world will be on holiday for Christmas and New Year. They will not find the time to take note of invitations leave alone making bids.

Has someone somewhere earmarked a favourite company? Are they waiting to win the race during the 13 day period? The answer will be known soon.
That again is if those responsible do not become wiser and make this multi million dollar deal a wholly transparent exercise.

One extra shot
President Chandrika Kumaratunga was thrilled at arrangements made for presentation of Presidential colours to the Sri Lanka Naval and Maritime Academy. She congratulated Navy Commander, Vice Admiral Daya Sandagiri over the event. This Academy is Sri Lanka Navy's main training centre.

As President Kumaratunga noted, the ceremonies went off as scheduled. She herself arrived right on time. But one small unintentional mistake went unnoticed. Instead of a 21 gun salute to the President and Commander-in-Chief, there were 22. One shell which did not fire ignited later. But none noticed it except a handful who counted the volleys.

Fishy farewell
The farewell ceremonies for the spy boss had some humorous moments.
Those who went to the boss' room to wish him good luck in his new job came with their noses shut with their thumb and index finger. The room smelt of Maldive Fish. There was a huge parcel.

It turned out that his counterpart from the archipelago had arrived with a load. The visitor is here to investigate activities of Maldivian dissidents who are using Colombo as a base.

Another humorous moment came when the visitor realised he had forgotten to deliver a bottle of whisky, Chivas Regal, he had bought at the Duty Free Shop in Colombo. He rang the office to ask someone to collect it from his hotel. The Duty Officer promptly rushed a car and a sleuth to collect the gift.

But the sleuth had delivered the Chivas Regal to the wrong spy boss. It took the real boss to phone him and say "Sir, that's my gift." It was returned. At least, the boss could say "cheers" with Chivas this season. Old Arrack can wait for another day.

No way say Chiefs
The news that President Kumaratunga has ordered a halt to the activities of the Defence Review Committee was too much. The British experts who advised on what turned out to be a politically motivated exercise, were busy this week trying to ascertain whether its activities could be resurrected.

At least one of them met the three armed forces commanders last week to ask what went wrong and what could be done. The Chiefs did not hold out much hope for the angry man.

CID calls for probe
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which conducts many an important probe, has asked Police Chief Indra de Silva to order a probe. That is into how a Reserve Police Constable attached to the CID died due to alleged negligence by those at the Police Hospital to provide medical attention in time. The RPC, it is claimed, was admitted to the Police Hospital and later transferred to the National Hospital. He had died of dengue.

A shrunken HSZ
The Army has re-drawn the High Security Zone map in the Jaffna peninsula excluding a hospital, a Pradeshiya Sabha and Library-Community Centre at Ahampan, near Nagerkovil.

The move followed a decision taken by the then Minister of Defence, Tilak Marapana. It came on the request of Jaffna district MP, C. Maheswaran, who had originally asked for a pull out from a larger area.

The decision to shrink in the southern flank of the HSZ near Nagerkovil was taken at a Defence Ministry conference attended by Mr. Marapana, then Defence Secretary, Austin Fernando, Maj. Gen. Sarath Fonseka, former Security Forces Commander, Jaffna and Mr. Maheswaran. That was despite protests from Maj. Gen. Fonseka.Yet the buildings released have still not been occupied. They are too close to the HSZ.

Back to Columns