55,000 Kandy
Area Households Will Get More Water
Nearly 55,000 households in the Kandy area will enjoy
an improved supply of water when Stage 2 of Phase 1 of the Greater
Kandy Water Supply Project now under construction is completed in
2012. Around 14,300 of the beneficiary households are in the KMC
and the balance 40,600 outside.
|
|
|
The Project Director
Mr. Sarath Gamini (second from right) and staff welcome Japanese
(JICA) officials visiting the project. |
Filtration Unit |
The Project Director Senior Engineer Sarath Gamini
told The Kandy News that as immediate relief, in the next few months,
about 5,000 households in the KMC area and an additional 5,000 outside
the KMC in Ampitiya, Elhena, Galtenna, Meekanuwa and Mullepihilla
will get either new water connections or augmented supply under
existing connections.
|
|
| Stage 2 Construction |
Water Intake |
The Greater Kandy Water Supply Project is a three
phase long term project funded by Japan. It is designed to supply
water to a population of 700,000 people living in seven Divisional
Secretariat divisions, namely Patha Dumbara, Gangawata Korale, Akurana,
Pujapitiya, Harispattuwa, Kundasale and a part of Patha Hewaheta.
Stage 1 of Phase 1 of the Project commenced in 1998 and was completed
two years ago. It cost about $60 million.
Stage 2 of Phase I is estimated to cost about $33
million. When completed in September 2012 it will benefit the residents
of Akurana, Pujapitiya, Harispattuwa, Patha Dumbara and Gangawata
Korale.
More Plantation Tamil Children in Schools
The admission of Tamil children to Central Province
(CP) schools is increasing said the Director of Education (CP) Mr.
Wijethunga Herath in an exclusive interview with The Kandy News.
This increase is mainly attributable to the improvement of schools
on the plantations.
When the Sirima Bandaranaike administration nationalized
the plantations in two stages in 1972 and 1975 respectively it did
not take over the estate schools under the Ministry of Education.
They were left under plantation management that did not have the
resources to invest in schools. Later the J R Jayawardane administration
took over the schools and with donor assistance began to improve
them.
The plantation community literacy rate and school
enrollment have historically lagged behind those of other communities
in the province. In 2003-04 the national literacy rate was over
92% but the plantation rate was only 81%, a gap of 11 percentage
points. For women the rates were 91% and 75% respectively, a gap
of 16. In 1985-86 as plantation schools began to get some additional
resources the gaps were far greater. At that time the national literacy
rate was 84% and plantation rate was 59%, a gap 25. The national
female rate was 80% and the plantation female rate was 46%, a gap
of 34.
Although enrollment has improved in the last two
decades it is reported that as recently as 2007 as many as 42% dropped
out before completing primary school. Only 7% passed the GCE (OL).
The percentage entering university is less than 1%. What these figures
suggest is that plantation Tamil children still have a long way
to go to catch up with the rest of the country.
Mr. Herath said that there were 520,000 children
in the CPC schools. The teaching cadre was around 30,000. Around
500 teachers retire each year. There is a significant shortage of
teachers proficient in Tamil, he added.
Pavement Hawkers, KMC and the Police
The reappearance of pavement hawkers on Dalada Veediya
is not only an issue about pedestrians being inconvenienced. In
the larger scheme of things this actually is a relatively minor
issue. The underlying issues of governance are far more important.
Consider the facts first. The new municipal commissioner decided
to clear the pavement hawkers with the backing of the mayor and
presumably at least some of the council members also supported him.
The Kandy police helped the commissioner to enforce the law. The
hawkers were given alternative accommodation in George E de Silva
Park but they were unhappy. They wanted the prime spots that they
had on Dalada Veediya. A presidential election was announced making
every public matter even more political in this already over-politicized
country. The pavement hawkers appealed to the president. In this
country governance at the highest level has become such a pedestrian
occupation that even the sales patches of pavement hawkers require
presidential decision making. Soon after the appeal to the president
the pavement hawkers have forcibly reoccupied the pavement.
Here are the basic issues of governance that arise
from this otherwise pedestrian incident. Mayor L B Aluvihare says
the hawkers are violating a Municipal Ordnance that he as the mayor
is obliged to implement. However, mayors in this country do not
have the power to call even a police constable to enforce the law.
The police takes orders only from the executive presidency. The
mayor's lack of power is exposed and not for the first time. The
municipal commissioner who from all accounts appears to be a sincere
and efficient public servant who tried to do the right thing has
been humiliated. Ironically one of the major debating points in
the presidential campaign is good governance and the promises that
candidates are making to the voters. Recall that Chandrika Kumaratunga
who as the Chief Minister of the Western Province filed a court
case against the Wijetunga administration demanding that police
powers be devolved to the provincial councils under the 13th amendment
was conveniently forgot her own demand after she assumed the presidency.
The hypocrisy of Sri Lankan politics needs no further elucidation.
It is no surprise that people are totally cynical.
Kent Ridge Customer Service
for Water Board
 Kent
Ridge (Pvt) Ltd, a reputed Training and Consulting Company, recently
conducted a two-day customer relations training program for the
National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB), Central Province
front office staff at the Katugastota NWSDB training center.
This was one of several training programs scheduled
for NWSDB Central Province staff. The programme is funded and monitored
by NIRAS Denmark.
Jagath Peiris and Thanziza Samsudeen who are well
experienced trainers conducted the training sessions which covered
key areas of customer relations.
The participants and NIRAS have highly commended the
quality and delivery of the programme.
Mr. P. Abhayagoonawardhana of NIRAS coordinated the program.
K A Dinapala and Pasan Chandrasekera from Kandy
Win Entrepreneur Awards
Two top businessmen from Kandy K A Dinapala who heads
the popular appliances dealership network and Pasan Chandrasekera
who is the Managing Director of the Stationary Suppliers Chandrasekera
Brothers were honoured by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce
and Industry for their business success at the “Entrepreneur
of the of the Year 2008 - Central Province” awards night held
recently at Hotel Suisse. Mr. Dinapala won a Bronze in the Extra
Large Business category and Mr. Chandrasekera a Bronze in the Large
Business category. The Chief Minister of the Central Province Sarath
Ekanayaka was the chief guest at the event. The Central Province
Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted it.
Four other business people from the central province
also won awards for their outstanding performance. Seetha Holdings
(Pilimatalawa) Managing Director Luxman Hemechandra won Silver in
the Extra Large category. He also won a Bronze in the all-island
competition held last month. Mr. Hemachandra's principal line of
business is trading in electrical equipment.
Mr. Jagath Udaya who Managing Director of Pentium
2000 Stationeries, Wattegama won a Silver in the Large Business
category and Mr. K G Jayalal Edirisinghe, Managing Director of Ramya
Trading (Hataraliyadde) won a Bronze in the Large Business category.
Mr. Udaya runs a successful pastel manufacturing industry and Mr.
Edirisinghe is in food manufacturing concentrating on cookies.
The only businesswoman to win an award was Mrs. I M Palpola who
is the proprietor of Mahaweli Canaries, Kundasale that produces
dehydrated fruits and vegetables. She won a Bronze in the Medium
Business category.
 The
picture shows the winners with the Guests of Honour Assistant High
Commissioner for India in Kandy Mr. R K Mishra and the Mayor of
Kandy Mr. L B Aluvihara (From left to right, seated: President of
the Central Province Chamber of Commerce and Industries Anuruddha
Warnakula, R K Mishra, LB Aluvihare and the President of the Federation
of Commerce and Industries Kosala Wickremanayaka. Standing: Luxman
Hemachandra, Pasan Chandrasekera, K A Dinapala, Jagath Udaya, Jayalal
Edirisinghe and Mrs. I M Palpola.
Colombo-Kandy Expressway Construction to Begin
Soon
 The
Colombo Kandy Expressway construction will commence soon said the
Governor of the Central Province Tikiri Kobbakaduwa in his key note
address at the Star Awards 2009 ceremony organized by the Ministry
of Industries Central Province held recently to honor entrepreneurs
of the Central Province.
Chief Minister Mr. Sarath Ekanayake's objective is
to make the Central Province the best PC by 2015. The Governor said
that he was confident of achieving that goal. The IT Park that is
coming up in Gatembe, the cultural center coming up in Pallekale,
moving of the Bogambara prison (2011) and the CPC offices to Pallekelle
are some of the major infrastructure projects underway he said.
The Governor appealed to the Kandy business community
to give its fullest support for the development of the area.
 An
Industrial Policy for the Central Province
The Central Provincial Council recently held a workshop
in Kandy with the assistance of The Asia Foundation to review its
industrial development policy and reformulate industrial strategy
to suit emerging post-war conditions in the country and the global
economy that is slowly coming out of a recession.
 The
Chief Minister of the Central Province Sarath Ekanayaka in his address
to the workshop noted that the usual current practice was to address
industrial policy issues on a case by case basis. The workshop has
been convened to develop a more integrates model with the input
of the business community of the province who have practical experience
in running industry. He thanked The Asia Foundation for the assistance
provided to organize the workshop.
 Programme
Officer of The Asia Foundation Ranjith Wijekoon said that if the
outcome of the workshop was successful The Asia Foundation may be
able to initiate similar policy reviews in other key areas such
as agriculture and services.
The Kandy based think tank Global Vision Centre for
Knowledge Advancement (www.gvglobalvision.org)
is providing technical support for the project.
Former Sinhaputhra CEO Kithsiri Wanigasekera
Joins Abans Financial Services
 The
former chairman of Sinhaputhra Finance Kithsiri Wanigasekera has
joined Abans Financial Services (ABS) as its Executive Director.
Addressing a gathering of invited guests at the recent opening of
the Kandy branch of ABS at 123 D.S Senanayake Veediya, Mr. Wanigasekera
said that Abans will launch an aggressive campaign in Kandy, Kurunegala,
Dambulla and Anuradhapura to mobilize deposits and lending through
leasing, hire purchase and loans.
He announced that ABS (Kandy) has hired a team of
senior executives with very considerable experience in the financial
service industry, many of whom worked with him in the past. Mr.
Nalin Jayasundera and Mr. Sunanda Samarasinghe will overlook Abans
operations in the region in Branch Development and Hire Purchase
and Leasing respectively. Other principal executives in Abans who
will assist Mr. Wanigasekera include Mrs. Chitrani Abeyratne, Mrs.
Nimalka Lokugamage, Samantha Gunawardene and Ms. Sureni Wickremasinghe.
Former Bank of Ceylon Deputy General Manger Mrs.
Mano Alles who now serves as the Managing Director of ABS (established
2005) said that her company was one of the 35 registered Finance
Companies in the country. It has its head office in Colombo and
eight branches located in Badulla, Gampaha, Kandy, Anuradhapura,
Dambulla, Galle, Kurunegala and Ratnapura respectively. She also
noted that ABS is backed by the Abans Group that is a top retailer
of consumer durables in Sri Lanka. The international ratings company
Fitch earlier this year gave the Abans Group an “A”
(Sri Lanka) long term rating with a “stable outlook.”
The Directors of ABS are Ms. Mano Alles (Managing
Director), Kithsiri Wanigasekera (Executive Director), Ms. S. Dubash,
S. Sothivadivel, Channa Pathirana, and R. Pestonjee (Alternate to
Chairperson).
|
News
Around Kandy
