People would undergo inconveniences during the coming months when sunrise is after 7.30 a.m. Dr. Janaka Ratnasiri of Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS) said.
Mornings are expected to be extremely dark during late January and early February because the sun rises after 7.30 am.
Sunrise times gradually increase during the months between February and December.
"The plantation sector would not benefit at all by the time change and the workers can only start their job, in the presence of daylight," he said when speaking on the effects of the advancing of the clock.
"It would be the case in other sectors too, though the system has some advantages like having more daytime in the afternoon."
Dr. Ratnasiri also said that a thorough survey on the three-month-old new time would be beneficial as it would bring out the true picture of the advantages, and how much energy had been saved.
"One thing I can see in this new system is that bedtime has become shorter by one hour from sunset, which helps to save electricity," he said.
"It is only countries in the temperate zone, that have a summer time, where the clock is advanced by an hour to gain more time. But in Sri Lanka which is a tropical country that wouldn't apply. However a more advisable act would be to advance the clock by half an hour and not by one hour", said Dr. Ratnasiri.
Dr. Arthur C. Clarke, the satellite pioneer, had insisted that both India and Sri Lanka should advance their clocks by half an hour to make the local time 6 hours ahead of GMT instead of 5.30.
This idea was floated long time ago, as converting local times to the times of other countries had been difficult. Sri Lanka and India remain to be the only countries which have a half hour difference. But the then government was not in favor of the idea stating it would create inconveniences to the people.
Advancing the clock by one hour has again resulted in the same complication.
When the government advanced the local time Dr. Clarke, had recommended, that would be the appropriate moment to implement his proposals.
The bumper paddy harvest in the villages of Bakmeewewa, Bamunugama and Weragala was something for the people to rejoice.
They decided to join in a pilgrimage to Kataragama as they had done in the past to give thanks for a bountiful crop.
After weeks of hard work on their fields under scorching sun, the farmers and their families were to leave on a well deserved outing to get the blessings of the gods.
When they set out from their homes they did not know that some of them had a date with death.
They left Kurunegala and reached the Badulla area on Monday (Sept. 2) night and the next day they were passing the Rawana Ella, when their bus went down a precipice killing at least 20 and wounding 60 others.
At the news of the tragedy, the three small villages in Kurunegala went into mourning on Tuesday. When we visited the villages the signs of shock were visible as some of their families had lost their breadwinners, some of them their mothers and children.
Gamini Ranatunga, whose mother died in the accident, said:
"We could not make the trip on two earlier occasions. I fell ill. My mother was not to go on this trip. My sister and her daughter, in Malwana and brother from Mattakkuliya came home.
They spent the night with us. Just before the departure my mother wept. Her wish was to die before the others and that happened."
In another family, the mother and her child had died. Their husband had gone to Badulla to bring back the bodies.
But a neighbor was there to tell us the details.
Podimenike is another upasika who died in the mishap. All her children but one are married. He is now alone. He had gone to fetch his mother's body.
One old woman had died too, leaving her childless husband Podibanda aged 57 years. They were married for 35 years.
"My wife said she wanted two kilos of sugar when I asked what she wanted. Our adopted daughter had a bad dream," he said adding that the death was due to sins committed in past.
Eugene Nona is another upasika who died. "My grandmother did not heed the advice of my parents who asked her not to go," the grand-daughter said.
One-and-a-half days later three trucks drove into the village bringing the bodies. That was a terrible moment, the villagers said
An article by Mr. Rohan Edirisinghe, a lecturer of the Law Faculty of the University of Colombo, on the myths and misconceptions on the unitary Vs federal constitution debate will be published next week.
The article will contain features of federalism which had been inadvertently dropped in Mr. Edirisinghe's article which appeared in 'The Sunday Times' on August 25.
UNP MP Rajitha Senaratne has asked the Maligakanda magistrates court to take action against media institutions which carried what he describes as "false news" regarding some dental supplies he made to the Air force.
Dr. Senaratne, a dentist, filed a motion in court recently saying the publication of this news item was defamatory.
The magistrate fixed the next hearing for September 23.
The Ceylon Bank Employees Union has appealed to President Chandrika Kumaratunga to stop an alleged attempt by the Public Enterprises Reform Commission (PERC) to privatize the State Mortgage and Investment Bank.
The union in a memorandum has asked the President to take necessary steps to halt any further action
towards the alleged privatisation of SMIB, pointing out that the moves have caused labour unrest and that it could lead to serious crisis in the banking industry.
The union has also pointed out that an attempt by the previous government to convert the state owned banks into limited liability companies was withdrawn in the face of agitation by the bank employees.
The union has stated that last month it had submitted alternative proposals to develop and expand the SMIB with the total ownership of the state instead of divesting 40% of its shares to the private sector.
The memorandum said the PERC was disregarding the union proposals and seeking information from the bank to convert the bank into a limited liability company.
Vehicles and traders have taken over the sidewalks on the new Galle Road and old Galle Road at Moratuwa ¥ posing not only inconvenience but also danger to pedestrians.
To make matters worse, some vendors and households have also put dustbins on the sidewalks.
Traffic police and Moratuwa UC authorities are blind or indifferent to this menace, residents say.
Residents risk their lives even on pedestrian crossings in the area. Few motorists respect the pedestrian crossing, least of all the private coaches. Traffic police do not seem to care.
On the road leading to the Moratuwa railway station, the situation has become most dangerous. Vendors there have taken over not only the sidewalks but the road itself. Pedestrians have to struggle through it.
Some 14 estate trade unions have strongly protested against the freezing of the cost of living allowance for plantation workers. The Joint Plantation Trade Union Centre (JPTUC) led by several prominent estate leaders in a memorandum have also denounced the recent agreement between the plantation companies and the CWC and the LJEWU which reportedly led to the freezing of the COL allowance.
After last week's meeting of the Government Surveyors' Association (GSA) with President Chandrika Kumaratunga, the three-month old strike is likely to be solved.
Tomorrow the GSA will meet the Secretary to the Ministry of Lands, D. M. Ariyaratne, to prepare a circular to settle the strike, according to GSA General Secretary, E. Ekanayake.
The government surveyors went on strike over the proposed new field structure, their main demand. At the talks the President had agreed in principle to retain the old field structure.
Meanwhile, the GSA "Peace Walk" which was started on August 31 will end on Tuesday with a puja in Kataragama invoking blessings on the government.
Customs duty on imports of cattle, buffaloes, goats, pig and sheep for breeding purposes and breading materials, semen and embryos to be used for improving stock have been waived, the Ministry of Livestock Development and Rural Industries said recently.
Currently the imports of semen and embryos and live breeding stock are subject to a customs duty of 10% while import of breeding goats is subjects to a duty of 35%. In addition these imports are subjected to future 20% turnover tax 4.5 % national defense levy and 2% Stamp Duty.
Waivers of duty on imports of breeding poultry has been in operation since October 1991 and has led to an increased private sector investment in poultry breeding and tremendous growth of the poultry industry during the past few years, a statement from the Ministry said.
In a renewed influx of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, 132 more persons from 42 families reached the Rameswaram coast in Ramanathapuram district on Thursday, a report from Madras said.
According to official sources, these refugees came in four Sri Lankan boats and a trawler belonging to a Rameswaram fishermen. The Navy intercepted the trawler at midsea and seized it. The four crew members of the trawlers have been handed over to the Fisheries Department officials.
Minister of Industrial Development, C.V. Gunaratne replying to Thilak Karunaratne, MP in Parliament this week said that a final decision has not been taken about the development of Eppawala phosphate deposits he assured that the government would not take any decision on that was harmful to the country.
Mr. Karunaratne raising this matter in Parliament as an adjournment question stated that Lanka Phosphate Limited a company fully owned by the government of Sri Lanka and freeport McMoran a US multinational, had been negotiating for some time to set up a manufacturing plant in Sri Lanka to produce various phosphates for export using Eppawala phosphate deposits as the feed stock.
He said he was also reliably informed that a lot of pressure was being brought in by very influential and politically powerful people to finalize an agreement between the two parities on terms and conditions which were most unfavorable to Lanka Phosphate Limited and Sri Lanka.
He asked if the Minister would inform the House whether an agreement was being worked out with freeport McMoran for the development of Eppawala phosphate deposits.
Several journalists will speak at a Seminar conducted by the Centre for Media and Development in Kandy on Tuesday.
The seminar is titled 'Media Responsibility and Third World Journalism'.
Sunil Madhawa, Mohan Samaranayake, Ajith Samaranayake and Dr. Rohana Luxman Piyadasa will speak at the seminar to mark World Writers' Day, commemorating the assassination of Czech writer Julius Fucik in 1943 in a Nazi camp.
The seminar will be held at the D.S. Senanayake Memorial Library Hall in Kandy.
The Janashakthi Life Insurance Company Ltd. will conduct a health camp at Tissamaharama to mark its second anniversary. The health camp will be held at Debarawewa President's Primary School on September 14 from 8 am. to 4 p.m. for the benefit of the needy people of Tissamaharama, Kataragama, Ambalantota and Hambantota areas.
The health camp will be manned by medical officers from the Southern Province and Colombo. It would also include a mobile Laboratory/Ambulance as well as Dental Clinic, Eye Clinic etc. It is held under the guidance of Deputy Provincial Director of Health Services - Hambantota, Dr. P.G. Mahipala and Coordinated by Dr. Rohan C. Mapa, District Medical Officer - Tissamaharama.
An ex-UNP MP who spent money from the decentralized budget to supply electricity to a village in Galagedara was forced to declare open the project by lighting a candle as the Electricity Board officials boycotted the function, it is alleged.
Former Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education, Tissa Attanayake had allocated Rs. 160,000 from the decentralized budget to provide electricity to the Pahala Galabawa village, and the supply was to be connected on August 8.
Although the function was publicized, no CEB employees turned up for the occasion and the ex-minister has unveiled the plaque and lit a candle in a symbolic gesture.
A CEB official at the Katugastota office contacted by 'The Sunday Times' said that so far they had not received permission from the Power and Energy Minister or the Deputy Minister to connect the electricity supply.
The official added that as soon as they receive instructions from the minister, they would connect the supply.
Continue to the News/Comment page 3 - Vested interests plotting against me and charter, says Mahinda, "To a man I never knew", Arafat:'No sir, no Bantustan'
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