4 Friday 10th June, 2011 The Island Home News Slum dwellers fear destruction of houses BY JAYANTHA DE SILVA basic amenities and continue to stressed. Over one million slum dwellers in live in squalor in unhygienic envi- Despite theses drawbacks, the Colombo live in mortal fear of their rons. Defence Secretary had utilized dwellings being demolished on the orders He attributed the drawbacks to USD 20 million received from the of Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the dissolution of the CMC in 2006 World Bank for the Development under a progrmme to turn Colombo into by the Governor of the Western of Colombo North. he said. both, a garden city and a commercial hub, Province following a probe by a Under that programme, infra- former MMC A. J. Mohamed Faiz, now a one-man commission headed by a structure of the shanty gardens, member of the Western Provincial retired Judge. comprising Sekku Watte in Council, told The Island on yesterday (10). “Before the dissolution the 56 Thotalanga, Sekku Watte, 75 He urged the government to provide Members of the Colombo Watte, Papadam Watte, alternative accommodation to both low Municipal Council were allocated A.J.Mohomed Blomendhal and Kimbula Ela, all income groups and shanty dwellers before funds for the purpose of develop- flood prone areas, had been devel- their cadjan houses are demolished under ing their respective wards. oped. the on going progamme. “The MMCs made representations to Furthermore, in response to his pro- He also charged that CMC Special various committees viz, Environmental, posal the road from Upali Newspapers to What the PSC Commissioner Omar Kamil was only Health, and Traffic depending on the need. Temple Road, which was flooded following working for the benefit of the rich as evi- “Now there is no one to focus on press- even a light shower is currently undergo- dent by the fact that the slum dwellers lack ing problems faced by the poor,” he ing reconstruction, he said. on NGOs said Launch today of resource Maradana police CPU OIC BY C. A. CHANDRAPREMA cacy groups and other such NGOs that deal in ‘intangibles’ into the defini- arrested for extortion book on dementia ontinuing our examination of tion. The most insidious NGOs are not the NGO sector, it would be use- those that deal in tangibles but those A resource book for the first of its kind published BY HEMANTHA RANDUNU in financial difficulties and could Cful to see what the that deal in intangibles.) care of dementia will be by the NIMH. Three persons, including the only pay Rs. 50,000. Parliamentary select committee head- The Select Committee in fact did launched by the National “Quoting the Health Officer-in-Charge of the The gang had accepted Rs. ed by had to say about acknowledge that not all NGOs operat- Institute of Mental Health Secretary Dr. Ravindra ‘Community Police Unit’ attached 50,000 and released them, sources the activities of NGOs in this country. ed against the national interest but with support from Ruberu she said that car- to Maradana police station, are said. When the couple had arrived Vijitha Herath is a JVP parliamentari- that at present the NGO sector as a Volunteer Services ing for someone with under investigation for allegedly at the Maradana police station to an and one may say that his views whole had a negative an impact on Overseas and the dementia was very diffi- extorting Rs. 50,000 from a lodge a complaint, they had seen would necessarily be prejudiced certain fields such as sovereignty, European Union today cult. It requires support Sudanese national. one member of the gang in the against NGOs. But this committee defence and national security, religion (10). and expertise. The Sources say the suspects had uniform of the Civil Defence comprised 26 members from the and education among others. The A media spokesman for resource book expertly abducted the foreigner and his Sri Force. The arrest of the suspect UPFA, UNP, JVP and the TNA. This Select Committee was of the opinion the NIMH, VSO Volunteer, covers the aspects of car- Lankan wife on Wednesday (8) and his subsequent interrogation interim report has been signed by D. that NGOs interfere unnecessarily in Shauna Humphries said ing for patients with and threatened them with death led to investigators to the police M. Jayarathna, , sensitive issues of the country. The on Thursday (09) that the dementia – providing med- unless they paid them Rs. 2.5 mil- officer and a another person and among select committee also made two very book titled ‘Understanding ical and practical knowl- lion. Sources say the couple had employed at a private employment others on behalf of the UPFA, Joseph significant observations which should Dementia: A resource edge. convinced the gang that they were agency. Michael Perera, be highlighted. Book for Dementia Care,’ English Sinhala and and and others * “On various instances, it was had been designed to pro- Tamil translations of the on behalf of the UNP and Vijitha clearly seen that many international vide practical knowledge resource guide would be Herath, and Sunil non-governmental organisations have tools and expertise to all distributed to all mental Handunnetti on behalf of the JVP. G. exaggerated conditions prevalent in Kathak Dance, “Naalu Pennungal” film at ICC health care workers and health facilities of the G. Ponnambalam, who represented the , with the aim of obtaining The Indian Cultural Centre, with subtitles in English) of family members who care country.‘Understanding TNA has not signed the interim aid from their mother countries.” Colombo has organized an evening Padma Vibhushan Adoor for people with dementia. Dementia,’ resource book report. * “At the same time, it was seen of Kathak dance by Sadara Gopalakrishnan will be screened, Health experts agree is a part of a four year The interim report of “The Select very clearly that the poverty of Sri Supathum Peiris, Anjalee followed by a talk by the Director, that mental health issues project - supporting devel- Committee of parliament for the Lankans is used by many non govern- Wijesiriwardane,Rangana at ICC Auditorium. like dementia would arise oping rights based on men- Investigation of the Operations of mental organisations as the main Nawagamuwa and Loshitha Adoor Gopalakrishnan hails in the future as twenty tal health services in Sri Non-Governmental Organisations and channel to approach the public. Samaraweera at the ICC auditori- from Kerala in South India and is percent of the Sri Lankan Lanka. The book was co- their Impact” which was presented to Both the above charges are damn- um,16/2, Gregory’s Road, Colombo one of the most renowned film- population would be above funded by the European parliament in December 2008 thus rep- ing indictments of the way NGOs 7 today. makers of India. He is the pioneer the age of 65 years by 2020. Union and the Sylvia resents a rare occasion where the gov- operate. One may think that when con- On June 11, a film entitled of the film society movement as The resource book is the Adams Charitable Trust. ernment and the main opposition saw ditions in Sri Lanka are exaggerated “Naalu Pennungal” (Malayalam well as parallel cinema in Kerala. eye to eye. As such the findings of this by international NGOs so as to obtain select committee are very relevant to more money, that would result in a net the present discussion. inflow of funds into Sri Lanka and TN move ploy... From page 1 This select committee was set up would therefore be beneficial for the From UNP National List MP D. been acting at the behest of Police, land... page 1 ‘to look into the opera- country. But that is M. Swaminathan recently major fisheries organisations, tions of foreign aid not what has been accused the government of which operated hundreds of able issue, since some of applies to the repeal of receiving non-govern- happening. The failing to prevent the TN trawlers. the Tamil political parties Emergency Regulations. It is mental organisations’ Parliamentary fishing fleet from cross- The TN Assembly were opposed to it, he said being done in stages” and inquire into ‘the Select Committee ing the Indo-Lanka mar- demanded the Central adding that the Tamil The Indian delegation, transparency of the has mentioned the financial activities of case of tsunami itime boundary. The Government take National Alliance was not which would include UNPer also accused the action to support war those non-governmen- housing where the the sole representative of Defence Secretary Pradeep government of failing to crime allegations tal organisations, iden- government signed provide the wherewithal against Sri Lanka and Tamils. Kumar and Defence Advisor tify the manner in MOUs with 59 for them to engage in impose economic In implementing the pro- Shiv Shankar Menon, was to which the operations of NGOs to construct deep sea fishing. sanctions to pressure visions of the 13 th request the Mahinda the said non-governmental organisa- 65,782 houses for tsunami victims, but Sri Lankan sources alleged the country to give equal sta- Amendment, the security Rajapaksa regime to fully tions have made an impact on the sov- only 3,270 houses have been built by 2008. Besides, the durability of even that the TN officialdom had tus and dignity to Tamils. and sovereignty of the coun- implement the 13th ereignty and national security of Sri Lanka’ etcetera. This interim report the houses that were built has been try has to be given prime Amendment, including land starts with a damning indictment of below expectations and most of the consideration, Rambukwella and police powers to the the NGO sector in the introduction housing schemes have become unin- said. “The same principle provinces, it is learnt. itself which goes as follows – “…It is habitable. Moreover the houses have Govt. to raise... From page 1 the general view of the people who very poor sanitary facilities below the made their written and oral submis- required standard. administration does and ic sanctions would “rein in sions to the committee that in general, According to the observations of says.Our dealings are with Sri Lanka as it did not heed no favourable service of considerable the Parliamentary Select Committee From the Center”,he said global opinion,when Rs. 100 mn for... page 1 value is rendered to society by non- made above, if NGOs were obtaining adding that a clarifica- it came to the Tamils governmental organisations.” The money from their mother countries by tion would be sought issue.If India and President Mahinda Authorities (CAA) has Parliamentary select committee came exaggerating the conditions in Sri from the visiting other countries Rajapaksa had a discussion already gazetted the new to the conclusion that the activities of Lanka and the poverty of Sri Lankans Indian impose sanctions,Sri recently with trader repre- laws regarding the collec- certain NGOs were unnecessarily was being used for both getting more delegation,which Lanka has to listen sentatives at the Manning tion, transportation, storage, threatening to defence and there was funding and establishing a support would also include to what we say.” Market and Economic distribution and sale of veg- unwarranted interference in the field base among the public by handing out Defence Secretary The LTTE which Centres and decided to pro- etables and fruits in suitable of education, and that some NGOs had a few sops, this means that this coun- Pradeep Kumar and killed Rajiv the temerity to avoid abiding by the vide farmers and vegetable containers. Legal action is to try has been getting the worst at both Defence Advisor Shiv Gandhi,was pro- orders of Parliament by manipulating ends. On the one hand, Sri Lanka is and fruit traders with plas- be taken against those who Shankar Menon. scribed by the diplomatic relations. The report being depicted as a basket case over- Jayalalitha,was Indian government tic containers at 50 per cent fail to adhere to the new makes a comment in passing that the seas, and the money that comes in to quoted by the Indian media as on her insistence, she had of the actual cost. laws. NGOs that come to Sri Lanka in the help these helpless people is not fully having said that only econom- said. He has informed the The government has also wake of the 2004 December Tsunami utilized for their benefit so that the Minister of Cooperatives decided to supply plastic had made it the second most lucrative problem continues to exist like the and Internal Trade Johnston containers (50 Kg and 30 Kg) business in the present day world! proverbial beggar’s wound for more One of the matters the Select money to come in. If the money com- Fernando of his decision. to the farmers and trans- Committee addressed was a definition ICEU informs... From page 1 The Consumer Affairs porters initially. ing in is not fully utilized, for the des- of what an NGO was. The PSC mem- ignated purpose, what happens to it? He has alleged that the factory premises bers observed that there were opportu- It is this mystery that made the the employees arrested in search of employ- nities for some organisations to select committee describe the tsunami escape being classified as an NGO as a by the police after the ees engaged in Some NWP... From page 1 projects as the second most lucrative attack were tortured at protests. result of a loophole in the existing leg- ‘business’ in the present day world. police stations. “We believe that “The CEA officials have tion licences could obtain islation in Sri Lanka. India and Thailand appear to have The Select Committee recom- According to him, Sri Lanka, as a mem- instructed those factories to them from the CEA. known what would happen and that mends that a definition of an NGO the factory owners in ber State of the UN put in place mechanisms to The CEA had already was why they declined western help ensure waste water treat- conducted surveys in the should be arrived at after taking into the export processing and the ILO has vio- for tsunami victims in their own coun- ment, emission control etc,” Colombo, Kalutara and consideration the way non-govern- zone said that the facto- lated the conventions tries saying that they could manage Herath said. Gampaha Districts and mental organisations have been ries including foreign 87 and 98 of the ILO,” on their own. Tsunami projects were He said that all the warned several factories, defined in countries like India, the investments had been dam- Adikari has asserted in his let- not the main area of interest of this industries operating with- Herath said. USA and the UK. The recommendation aged by the police who entered ter. series of articles on the NGO sector. out environmental protec- of the Select Committee is for some- thing on the following lines – “All But the findings of the parliamentary organisations formed by an individual select committee on this matter high- or a group of individuals with no state lights the issue at hand. The Asian tsunami and the suffering left in its Move to deprive ... From page 1 agreement for the purpose of render- ing volunteer service with local or for- wake was something that pulled at the He said that the Cabinet of tary families. He lashed but to serve in areas as Administration and Home eign aid, with no expectation of profit heart strings of everybody. One would ministers had decided on out at the government directed by their high Affairs Minister John but aiming at social security, welfare think that if there was be honesty, it December 24, 2009 that officers for acting contrary to a commands. “It is a Seneviratne said that those and development, with a constitution would be in aid channelled to the vic- and other ranks of the tri- decision taken by the great injustice to the directly involved in the war and a management system consistent tims of such a tragedy. If honesty forces would be entitled to full Cabinet of Ministers servicemen. Wherever would receive full pension with the domestic legal and policy could not be enforced even with pension rights after complet- and given wide publici- they were, they served rights. He said that the gov- framework and ethics, are defined as regard to such projects, then what ing 22 years in service. The ty by the media. the country,” ernment had provided a range voluntary social organisations or non- hope can anyone have for redemption? full pension was to be paid The MP said it was Dissanayake said, of facilities and relief meas- governmental organisations”. It has to be noted that it is not the cor- from January 2010, though it unreasonable on the while demanding to ures to the servicemen. (The above definition is obviously ruption of Sri Lankan officials or had now been changed, the part of the government Anura know whether the gov- However, servicemen had to a work in progress, but a shortcoming politicians that is spoken of here, but MP said. to set a condition with ernment would take serve in operational areas for that becomes immediately apparent is of the implied corruption and dishon- MP Dissanayake alleged regards the number of years remedial action. at least five years to receive that the Select Committee while brin- esty within the NGO sector itself. that new conditions had in operational areas as offi- Responding to the DNA full pension, the minister ing in ‘social security, welfare and caused heartburn among mili- cers and men had no option allegations, Public said. development’ has not brought in advo- (To be continued next week)