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To
Russia with false promises In a letter to Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando, the Russian Ambassador here had raised the matter and was awaiting a reply before deciding what action should be taken, a senior Russian Embassy official said. The First Secretary and Head of the Cultural and Educational Department of the Mission, Mikhail Ustinov has warned that the use of the Russian emblem by some private agencies that claim to award scholarships to study in Russian universities, was a serious offense and would be dealt with harshly. "Anyone
with the right qualifications can enter a University in Russia,
but no one can claim to provide government scholarships and violate
our laws," he said. Mr.Ustinov said
the Russian government annually provided 35 scholarships (20 undergraduate
and 15 post graduate) to Sri Lankan students and these were channelled
strictly through the Ministry of Higher Education in Colombo. Mr. Ustinov
also said the Russian Center here had received several complaints
that some students were being sent to universities without the required
A/L Qualifications. He said in future visas would be issued only
after checking the veracity of A/L examination certificates. He
said although the Russian Embassy has been issuing warnings since
1998 to students and their parents not to fall victim to the bogus
agents of Russian universities in Sri Lanka, the problem has continued
unabated. The Sunday Times learns that the modus operandi in many of these cases has been to tell students that they would require around two million rupees, for example to follow the seven year medical degree and then send them to Russia. However, the students soon realize that only the admission and a years' tuition fees have been paid for and they have to fend for themselves after that. In some instances the agents have been sending the students in mid term ( The new term start in September) and the agents pay for half a term putting the students once again in a precarious situation. Many students have also being promised admission to prestigious universities like the Lumumba University or the Moscow Medical Academy but in reality they end up in a small university in Siberia or some other distant place. In one interesting
case a couple of years ago, parents had been told the Rector of
the Lumumba University had come to Colombo and had arranged a meeting
between him and the parents and students seeking admission to universities.
The following year, the Rector was invited by the Russian Embassy
to inaugurate some language courses in Colombo. An official at the
Mission had inquired from the Rector how his previous visit to Sri
Lanka was only to be told that this was his first visit to Sri Lanka. Several of the complaints received from the students this year were about those who had gone there in February last year. They had been sent to the Moscow Automobile Institute which conducts Russian language and other basic courses but after the completion of a year they were still stagnating there without being able to get admission to a proper university to follow courses of their choice. Many parents
of these students have come to the Russian Center in Colombo and
have also written asking for some kind of redress for these students
but the Embassy is unable to do anything as the students have been
duped by private agents. He urged those wishing to study in Russia to contact the Russian Center in Colombo, to get the correct information regarding university admission. Fixed
term for police officers Q: What practical
areas are you covering ? Q: Police
transfers and promotions also appear to be a major problem. How
are you tackling it? Q: What steps
are you taking to crack down on crime and drugs? An advisory committee is looking at other measures to improve the police service. But the biggest step will be the appointment of the Independent Police Commission. The Constitution council is examining the nominations and when the independent commission starts work lots of the problems relating to favouritism or corruption could be sorted out. Q: What about
training? Joy
and sorrow for families of prisoners Captain Boyagoda's
youngest son who was just two years when he was captured barely
recognized his father. 'He did not speak to him for about two hours,
he was very shy, whereas the older two were chatting with the father'
Mrs. Boyagoda said. Family members
said that LTTE representatives whom they met during their five day
visit had told them to ask the Government to officially make a request
for the release and also take steps to release some of the detainees
being held by the Government. The families were asked to tell the Government to release LTTE POWs, as the LTTE had on several occasions released POWs. Mrs. Chandani Boyagoda wife of Captain Ajith Boyagoda the most senior officer held captive told The Sunday Times that the LTTE had shown a lot of concern for the prisoners but it had wanted the Government to release some of the Tamil prisoners. The LTTE representatives
had also conveyed their satisfaction over the progress of the peace
talks and said they had a lot of confidence in the Government. PM
shows heavy debt burden The Army liability is Rs. 13. 9 billion,the Air Force's Rs. 7.1 billion, the and the Navy's Rs. 3.5 billion. The Prime Minister had pointed out that even if the war ended immediately the government would have to repay the loans taken to buy military hardware until the year 2008. Meanwhile advances from banks to public enterprises such as the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC),the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the CWE totalled to Rs 40,811 million in 2001, the Prime Minister said. The debt service last year was Rs 94 billion interest and Rs 117 billion this year. Loan payment last year was Rs 85 billion and this year it shot up to 209 billion. .The debt in the EPF amounts to Rs 241,298 million, treasury bills Rs2,627 million, treasury bonds Rs60,998 million and rupee loan Rs178,003 million. The government borrowings from the banking sector from Rs 95,585 million in 1994 shot up to Rs 256,808 million in 2001. Riddled
with cracks The outer facade of the building shows a crack running all along the wall and inmates fear the day when the building might collapse under the strain. There is very little space available for children to play and parents complain of the dangers present due to the structural weakness of these buildings. "The unprotected
openings for sunlight and ventilation could be death traps for any
child leaning over to retrieve a fallen object", said Rohini
a worried mother, adding that repeated requests for grills to cover
these openings had fallen on deaf years. But the inmates complain that for months garbage has not been removed and the stench spreads throughout the whole building. They also lament about regular blockages of the drainage pipes. The extremely small flats were given in place of the shanties previously occupied by them are being seen by the flat dwellers as a bad bargain. "They measured our entire house and promised to give us flats of a similar area but we have been cheated," housewife Rizwana told us "Can a family live in a space of 275 square feet," she asked, explaining that space allocated for her flat had taken into account the area outside making up the total of 400 square feet. Having given up our houses and Rs. 25,000 we are being shabbily treated, said Rohini who occupies a flat on the ninth floor. It is the authorities who are making use of the interest earned from our money she added. Of the six lifts only two were functioning when we visited the complex, and the inmates charged that since the lifts were switched off at 11 each night, even patients were compelled to climb or be carried up the thirteen floors. "If the situation is so bad after just six months, I dread to think how it would be after an year," Rizwana said. Sithy Zuhaira who noticed the crack on the inner wall of her house since the day they came to occupy the flat in late February, said that even three letters to the relevant authorities had yielded no results and she feared for the safety of her family including five children. "There are certain technical problems" admitted Real Estate Exchange Limited Senior Manager Ranjith Samarasinghe stationed at the Management Corporation office on the ground floor of 'Sahaspura'. Certain shortcomings have been rectified with some others needing attention butconstruction work on the building is still proceeding, Mr Samarasinghe said. Upper
Kotmale: CWC to meet committee CWC MP R Yogarajendran told The Sunday Times that what they wanted was an independent report . 'The Minister agreed to this request. We were also asked to discuss certain details with the two member committee appointed by the Minister. We informed the Minister that nearly 500 families will be affected by this project' said Mr. Yogarajendran. The CWC is expected to hold discussions with the two member committee next week . 'Once the details are worked out we will meet Minister Jayasuriya on June 6 towards reaching a settlement. We think it is important to meet the officials and get an exact picture on the matter. While there are certain issues that we are not aware of, we will on our part show them the environmental impact of this project" said Mr. Yogarajendran. The CWC carried out a protest two days prior to the laying of the foundation stone to the upper Kotmale project which was later postponed. The CWC claimed that the Government is still to relocate, the 500 families who will be affected. They allege that 28 families are yet to receive compensation from the lower Kotmale project. The Sunday Times learns that the Government plans to go ahead with the laying of the foundation in July after sorting outstanding matters with the CWC. |
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