The advice given by the most Venerable Madihe Pannaseela Maha Nayake Thera, to parliamentarians to safe guard the country and not their seats is sound and timely.
However, the Ven Monk, though well versed in the teachings of Lord Buddha, has suggested that, to preserve this country for the Sinhala Buddhist, the vast jungle stretch, between Elephant-pass and Vavuniya, be cleared of all flora and fauna, sparing, of course, the big trees, ignoring ecological considerations, and that this vast area be colonized by the Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim communities.
This precisely was the policy implemented by the late D.S. Senanayake, in the past, where the Island’s Re-convicted Criminals were settled in his Colonization Schemes, which has led to the present crisis, breeding Prabakarans among people, who were God fearing, hard working and docile up to about 1956.
But, if the Ven monk’s scheme is implemented, by colonizing the vast area, referred to by him, with people like himself, members of the Amarapura Sangha, the Sinhala Commissioners and their kith and kin, who are here and abroad, and the ‘Devolution Package’ implemented to eliminate all forms of discrimination, exploitation and appression, of all people living in Sri Lanka, it may be possible to overcome the crisis, that has plagued this country for the past 27 years, both in the North and South.
Hence, in the interest of the country, the Ven monk should, instead of wasting his time meeting the Sinhala Commission and advising Parliamentarians to reject the ‘Package’ meet Prabakaran and convert him to the path of peace, as Lord Buddha converted Angulimala, to put an end to the endless killings in this land, thrice visited by Lord Buddha.
I have been requested by the housewives living down my lane to write to the press and give wide publicity to the harressing and agonising plight which they face every day.
It is no secret that all grocery shop owners and local village boutique keepers sell essential food items in short measure.They also sell underweight sugar, dhal, tea etc., which these poor housewives buy in 50, 100, 250 and 500 grams for their daily consumption.These are pre-packetted and contain less than the weight they pay.
Even when items are weighed under their own eyes, brazenly and with impunity, the boutique keeper has the audacity to abuse when questioned.
I am told by one of the housewives that they had written to the Commissioner of Internal Trade for his personal attention and to the Assistant Commissioner (Flying Squad) as back as early March, 1997, no action has been taken on a grocery shop owner in the area.
While the government, specially the President is trying to bring down the cost of living , the government machinery seems to be inefficient.
Whom are we to turn to? MPs are given subsidised meals at the Parliament Canteen, Officials are provided with free transport and other perks. They don’t feel the pinch.
With the reshuffling of the Cabinet and infusing new young blood, we hope and pray that this burning question is taken up on a prionity basis.
This letter is in the context of the many protests staged by Buddhist and Catholic clergy, Members of Parliament and the people in the area against setting up a coal power plant at Norachcholai in Kalpitiya. This is a very important issue, as this is going to be the main power source in Sri Lanka. Therefore as a former power development Consultant to the CEB who had worked on coal power development since 1980, let me comment on the erroneous planning criteria which have been adopted to set up this massive coal power plant at Kalpitiya/Puttalam.
The CEB states that this Kalpitiya site is considered by Electro Watt Services to be the most suitable for a coal power plant. Let me explain how Kalpitiya was given this false elevated position in the CEB plan. The Japan Consulting Institute (JCI) study on which coal power development on the West Coast originated ranked Dungalpitiya/Negombo as the best site and Kalpitiya was listed last. JCI prepared layout plans only for Negombo Kalpitiya is only an identified site.
Then during the last UNP regime, the anti-coal lobbies carried out a disinformation campaign saying that Negombo is thickly populated and large numbers of people will have to be evacuated. This made some Ministers in the area needlessly protest against this project, being unaware of the fact that the coal power site was away from the town area in Dungalpitiya, a scrub region with few people. Only about 100 to 150 houses (huts) will have to be relocated. Compare this with the fact that the whole Maskeliya town had to be relocated for the Maskeliya Oya Project (about 700 Million Units) and the entire Teldeniya town was shifted for the Victoria Project (600 Million units). However 600 MW of coal power at Negombo will produce as much as 3600 million units.
On what grounds can it be concluded that a plan to set up a coal unloading pier 4 Km long protruding right into the sea at Kalpitiya is superior to a 3/4 Km long pier at Dungalpitiya/Negombo or the site at Mawella where a coal ship can be brought along side the shore. In addition the shallow Kalpitiya bay is subject to strong sea bed movements where continuous dredging is likely to be required.
The fresh water needed for a coal power plant at Negombo or at Mawella can be made available. But at the Kalpitiya site this is not so. The fresh water needed for the power plant will have to be provided through desalination. This is a very costly process which uses large quantities of electricity to remove salt from sea water. It is resorted to only in oil rich desert lands where there is no fresh water availableg. Saudi Arabia. One cannot assume this to be a water purification process which is common in all water supply schemes.
The CEB plan is to set up a massive 900 MW power plant at Kalpitiya. Then it will be the major power source in the country as it will provide double the quanty of electricity that is at present produced by all the hydro power plants in the CEB power system. The 4 Km long coal unloading pier will be the life-line of this massive power plant. Can this pier at Kalpitiya be constantly protected from a possible terrorist attack?
Having moved to the Kalpitiya area, the CEB is now, rather belatedly getting to know of possible terrorist attacks. They will surely learn more about the actions of suicide bombers. Is the CEB blind to tread on such troubled waters with this big power plant, when excellent sites superior in every respect to Kalpitiya are available? The public is well aware of how many years were wasted because terrorist activities prevented the coal power plant being implemented in Trincomalee.
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