Lake Rehabilitation Held Up for Shortage of Funds

Rehabilitation of the Kandy Lake is about to grind to a halt owing to a shortage of funds. The current allocation is Rs 6.5m. Of this amount Rs 5.5m has already been spent to construct a gabion wall around the Lake and to desilt the head of the Lake. But there is no money to rehabilitate the island in the middle of the Lake and the old Walakulu Bamma.

The Kandy World Heritage City Committee that discussed the financial situation requested Mayor L B Aluvihare to prepare a new budget estimate for the balance rehabilitation work. The committee also decided to establish a “Kandy Lake Conservation Fund.”

Women's Chamber Meets to Review Progress

The Central Province Women's Chamber of Small Industries and Commerce recently held its annual general meeting under the presidency of Mrs. Rosita Samarajeewa. The meeting attracted about 75 members who reviewed the progress of the Chamber over the last four years and elected a new set of office bearers. The Secretary General of the Sri Lanka Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry Mr. Samantha Abeywickrema was an invited special guest at the meeting.

Mr. Abeywickrema addressing the gathering stressed the importance of strengthening the Chamber to work for the uplift of businesswomen in the province.
Mrs. Samarajeewa Chairperson, Rosita Hair & Beauty Studio (Pvt) Ltd., agreed to remain as the president for one more year. Addressing the members she described the work that the Chamber has done in the past few years for its members. The services rendered include a variety of skills development and training programmes, foreign study and training tours and trade fairs

In the last few years the Chamber received assistance from the Federation of Chambers, Swedish International Development Agency and the ESSP-GTZ.

Mrs. Shirley Jayawardena, Managing Director, Media Vision (Pvt.) Ltd. Publisher of the Kandy News, was elected the senior vice president and she is expected to take over the presidency next year. Mrs. Samudra Dayananda, Proprietor, Door Step Learners & My Shop was elected 2nd vice president. The new secretary is Ms. Corrina Sansoni, Director, Stephanie's Gifts & Styles, and the treasurer Ms. Kumuduni Weerasekara, Director, Heshani Jewellery.

The Board of Directors includes Mrs. Malani Ariyarathne (Proprietor, Shanima Industries), Mrs. S.M. Chondon (Director, The Stitch), Mrs. L.Manike Jayasundara (Proprietor, Willy's Leather), Mrs. Padmini Wijethunga (Salon Dill) Mrs. Damayanthi Maddegoada (Director, Chandima Beauty Centre), Mrs. Janaki Piyasinghe (Director, Janaki Bridal), Mrs. Kumudini Idamgedara (Director, The Flower), Mrs. Sandya Priyani Guruge (Director, Sandhya Arts & Craft, Bridal Roof & Academy of Home Science), Mrs. Ayesha Rizvi (Director, Salon Roshana, Roshana Reception Hall, Roshana Farm), Ms. Suhashini Weerasinghe (Director, S.T.O.Pers Shop) and Mrs. Namalee Wadasinghe (Director, Namali Fashions).

The new board has launched a project to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the members and develop a comprehensive program to assist the members to develop their businesses.

The Women's Chamber has a membership of a little over 150. It is anxious to further strengthen the membership and invites businesswomen to join. For more information please call the Chief Executive Office Mr. S. Samarajeewa (Tel: 081-222-8830).

Kandy Young Scholars Get Commercial Bank Savings Accounts

The Commercial Bank gave "Aranalu Lama Ginuma" savings accounts to nine young scholars from Kandy who performed outstandingly well in the last Year Five Scholarship Examination. The Bank has deposited about Rs 8,000 in each account. The winners were S.L Kumarihamy, U.S.N. Yatawara, D.M.G.S. Suriyakumbura, A.K. Yamalaga, U.B. Ranatunga, E.M. Wathsala, T.L. Wijethunga, D.M.N.S.K.Dissanayake and H.M.S.T. Kumarasiri.

In the entire country a total of 170 children received bank deposits totaling Rs 1.7m from the Commercial Bank.

IT Exhibition Attracts Large Crowds

The Governor of the Central Province Tikiri Kobbakaduwa was the chief guest at the Information Communication Technology Exhibition (ICT) that the Sri Lanka Vendors Association held recently at the Hotel Suisse, Kandy. It attracted fifty two exhibitors and over 25,000 visitors says the coordinator of the event Kalum Jayasena. He said that the organizers had to turn down applications from some prospective exhibitors due to lack of space. He said that the public response was most encouraging and the Vendors Association had decided to make the Kandy exhibition an annual event.

As a service to the community OIC Traffic Police Kandy Mr. Ajith Dharmapala has agreed to respond through the columns of The Kandy News to any questions or suggestions that our readers may have on Kandy traffic issues. You are invited to send your questions or suggestions to The Kandy News, 111/1 Anniewatta, Kandy. You must mention you name and address in all correspondnece. It is useful to mention the phone number as well.

The Sri Lanka India Cultural Association of the Central Province - Kalyana Slica will bid farewell to the Indian Assistant High Commissioner Mr. H E K R Pillai at a dinner in his honour that will be held at the Queen's Hotel on Sunday September 16th at 7.30 p.m. Earlier on the same day Slica will also launch the former Assistant High Commissioner Mr. Achal Malhotra's book Prehistoric Mythlogical and the Legendary Link Srilanka-India at a ceremony at the Queen's Hotel Ballroom.
SLIC will hold its annual flagship cultural show Kalyana Ranga on Sunday 30th of September at 4.30 p.m. at the Hindu Cultural Center. School children from all ethnic groups in the Central Province will presnet colorful dances and other items of cultural entertainment at the show.
Slica will also play its annual cricket match with the Indian High Commission later this month.

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Colombo-Kandy Expressway Work Begins

A Malaysian company MTD Capital Bhd (web address) will invest in the venture and undertake the construction through its construction company MTDC on a Build, Operate and Tranfer (BOT) basis. MTDC is a leading Malaysian construction company with significant international road construction experience in Asia including India, China, Indonesian and the Philippines.

The total estimated cost at 2007 prices will be at least $500m (Rs 57b) and could be as high as $700m (Rs 76b). Land acquisition is estimated to cost an additional $23m (Rs 2.6b).

C-KEX will connect to the proposed 28km Outer Circular Highway (OCH) that will circle Colombo city which in turn will have connections to both the 25 km Colombo-Katunayake Expressway as well as the 120km Southern Expressway. Once this Expressway network is fully operational a motorist from Kandy will be able to reach Colombo in less than one and a half hours and Galle in about three hours.

In fact the link of C-KEX to OCH is believed to be critical for the economic viability of the former. Without OCH it is estimated that C-KEX would not generate enough toll traffic.

The present plan is to charge a toll. Moratuwa University that has done a study of the likely traffic volume has suggested a rate of Rs 1 per km. (2004 prices) as the economically optimal rate. That means the toll for Kandy-Colombo would be around Rs 100. However, analysts say given the saving in time, petrol and vehicle wear and tear motorists may be willing to pay more. This has implications for construction because a higher toll would make a four lane carriageway from Ambepussa to Katugastota more viable.

When completed the C-KEX will have thirteen entry and exist points, one for every 7.5km.
The major challenge that the RDA faces is land acquisition. There are press reports that some residents and landowners who will lose their land and property to the new highway are organizing themselves to oppose acquisition. Such opposition at the very least has the potential to delay the project and also increase the cost.