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Mara tree in Matara Fort cut down in name of development JVP Municipal Council member Jayantha Pathirana told The Sunday Times he had witnessed Minister Mahinda Wijesekera at the site where the tree was cut last afternoon when the loading of the lorry was taking place. The cutting down of the tree had commenced on Thursday night, with a backhoe machine used for the operation. Mr. Pathirana had lodged a complaint at the Matara Police station at 10.35 p.m. but been informed by the police that they would not be able to visit at that time, the site where the tree was being cut. On Saturday afternoon the backhoe machine had once again been put into operation with the remnants of the tree trunk being chopped down. The reason given for chopping down the tree is to make way for landscaping, he said. He further said that the Director of the Archaeological Department had issued a directive last year stating that no construction work should take place within 400 metres distance from the Fort to preserve its archaeological value. "A three hundred years old tree is no value at all," Minister Mahinda Wijesekera told The Sunday Times. He explained that the tree was cut to make way for a playground and open space. This will create space for netball, volleyball, basketball pitches and tennis courts, he added. This is for sustainable development, he said, accusing the JVP Municipal Councillor of being jealous of the government gaining any credit through such development work. The plan had been drawn up by the UDA, he said. He said another 25 trees, probably esala trees, will be grown instead. He said the timber of the mara tree had been given to the Timber Corporation. The Archaeological Department, the Urban Development Authority and the Municipal Council had given permission for the tree to be cut he said, adding, "Permission had been unanimously given, I am only spending the money for the re-development." The minister is the President of the District Sports Foundation which is organising the Nilwala Avurudhu Udanaya to take place at these premises. He further said the tree was very old and dangerous. Recently a man had died as a result of a branch from the tree falling on him and on another day, a vehicle had been damaged, he said. Publicity
uncovers child abuse NCPA Chairman Prof. Harendra de Silva said complaints and reports on the physical and sexual exploitation of children have seen an increase in recent times following exposure in the media. Public cooperation has helped the NCPA to nab several perpetrators. The NCPA has been receiving complaints from areas such as Ampara, Padiyatalawa and Embilipitiya where officers have been able to nab several suspects in just one visit. "In some instances, in one visit we have been able to trap several suspects, mainly due to the many complaints we receive. We receive reports on sexual abuse by teachers, neighbours and parents," Prof. De Silva said. In a recent incident, a boy who was being sexually abused by his teacher informed his mother and the school principal. The teacher committed suicide through shame. Prof. De Silva attributed the child's prompt action of bringing the incident to the notice of elders was due to a TV commercial on sexual abuse being telecast these days. Although many of the complaints received were of sexual abuse, cases of physical abuse were also reported. A few years ago, many complaints had been on use of child labour. Although child labour still exists in Sri Lanka, the figures have declined considerably following strict action. Prompt and quick action by the public have, on occasions, helped the NCPA to catch the perpetrator red-handed. In a recent incident, a team from the NCPA was sent immediately to investigate into a phone call received about a child being beaten at that very moment. The place of the incident being in close proximity to the NCPA not only enabled the officials to get there soon, but also witness the incident and arrest the abuser in the act. The NCPA has also been receiving many complaints about physical abuse in schools. Prof. De Silva explained that if a mark was left on a child's body due to corporal punishment or any other form of physical abuse, legal action could be instigated. "A mark on the body indicates that it is certainly abuse and we take it very seriously," he said. On the other hand, a warning is issued if there have been complaints of physical abuse but there are no marks on the body. Failure to heed the warning will result in legal action being taken against the perpetrator. The NCPA has said physical abuse, as a form of disciplinary action must be discouraged, because it endorses violence as a means of solving problems. A booklet on corporal punishment, meant for teachers has been circulated all over the country. However, the NCPA has received reports of these books being used in shops to wrap goods. Teachers who have not received the booklet have been requested to inform the NCPA in writing. CMC
plans dengue control measures About 2000 or more Boy Scouts are to assist the Public Health Department to carry out a house-to-house inspection on May 11. "Before the rain starts, the people should clean up their gardens to eliminate mosquito breeding places," Chief Medical Officer of the CMC, Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam said. Dengue cases are hardly reported now, but are expected to rise with the onset of rains. Stagnant water provides an ideal home for mosquito breeding and hence public cooperation is sought to clean places in and around homes and discard/bury tins and other empty vessels to prevent water collecting in them. Meanwhile the Department is going ahead with the Healthy Schools project, which is aimed at improving both the indoor and outdoor environment of the school. Leading city schools, smaller schools and even international schools are part of the project. The Department is hoping to hold a workshop for NGOs and the private sector to help, especially the poorer schools, build a healthy environment. NGOs will provide counselling services to such schools and also help with a recycling project, which is to be implemented soon. N'
Eliya chock-full for season The President was at President's Lodge while the Prime Minister stayed at his official residence. With security kept to a minimum, the Prime Minister was seen touring the city with the Mayor, looking at projects geared towards developing the city while the Prime Minister's wife Maithree was seen driving around town in her own car. However, no
meeting took place between the Head of State and the Prime Minister.
Verandahs had been rented out to families on holiday and it was a common sight to see them roughing out in those places. Roads had been kept closed at certain places affecting the free movement of people. The motor races had also drawn massive crowds to Nuwara Eliya. In the picture a woman cooks by the wayside close to a garbage receptacle. Her family is said to have paid Rs. 6,000 to rent a small room for a day's stay in a house on the opposite side of the road, but no cooking facilities had been available in the house. JSS
to withdraw case against flour mill project in Port The JSS decision to move for the withdrawal of the case filed against the Sri Lanka Ports Authority and the Dubai based Serendib Flour Mills (Private) Ltd comes after some ministers and certain trade chambers had pointed out that the case filed by a government affiliated trade union was hampering foreign investment coming into the country as it was creating doubts among foreign investors. JSS Vice President and Tourism Minister Gamini Lokuge told The Sunday Times that the union had decided to come to a settlement after the Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka and Chamber of Commerce in Dubai had raised the issue. The Sunday
Times learns that the issue was raised by the Chamber of Commerce
in Dubai when Consumer Affairs Minister Ravi Karunanayake met its
officials. The JSS had earlier filed a writ application in the Court of Appeal challenging the validity of the allocation of a plot of land in the Prince Vijaya Quay in the Colombo Port for the construction of the flour mill. The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) which looked into the issue of leasing the land for the private flour mill project was opposed to the transaction. The Director General of the Technical Committee, G.P.Weerasinghe in his report had said that providing such land can be damaging to the economy of the country in the long run. The report said that the Colombo Port is a very small port with hardly has space to handle the vital import-export activities and transhipment activities that are of economic importance. 'Thus the port area is predominantly of common user status. Providing large areas of land for individual business activities is best served in specialised industrial ports. Thus granting of space for individual activities in the very small commercial port of Colombo is at the expense of multi-user economic activities and in the long run can be damaging to the economy of the country', the report said. The Director of Finance of the Ports Authority in his observations had pointed out that leasing of this quay will incur a loss of around Rs. 800 million annually to the port as the estimated income from the lease to the flour mill would be only Rs. nine million annually. The JSS had also cited that the entire transaction lacked transparency. Mr. Lokuge told The Sunday Times that the JSS would still ensure that all its demands would be met before a settlement is reached. The Sunday Times learns that one of the conditions has been to shift the location of the flour milling plant a distance not exceeding 12 metres, towards the east, from the originally proposed location. The parties involved in the case will have no claims against each other. |
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