New vistas in road development - Highways Minister

Highways and Road Development Minister T.B. Ekanayake says the President and his Government will go down in history as the only Government which has implemented the highest number of road development projects after the country gained independence. The Minister in an interview with Sunday Observer expressed his views on the developments taking place within the road and political sectors.

by Uditha KUMARASINGHE

Q: What are the major roadworks undertaken by the UPFA Government led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the last four years?

A: I think people know all about it. They know how they went on roads before 1994. After President Mahinda Rajapaksa assumed office, a massive road sector development has been taking place in the country. Earlier people got stranded due to lack of roads and inability to travel in roads. After we gained independence, President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Government will enter history as the only Leader and the Government which implemented the highest number of road development projects.

Q: What are your plans to develop the North-East road network ? What is the progress achieved by "Maga Neguma" project ?

A: Only 11,890 Km A and D category roads are come under the purview of the Highways Ministry. It was the President which took immediate measures to develop the country's road network without considering the category of roads. The people are not interested to know whether that particular road belongs to Central Government, Provincial Council or any other State institution. The people only want that road to be in a good condition to go.

During the UNP regime, Road Construction and Development Corporation was closed within 24 hours by depriving employment of a large number of employees. The President commenced the "Maga Neguma" project taking in employees and machinery belongs to the RCDC. Three institutions were commenced affiliated to Maga Neguma project. Except for foreign funded projects, the 2009 budgetary estimates had reserved Rs. 77,128 million to the Highways and Road Development Ministry.

The Government in collaboration with the Chinese Government has already commenced the development of the A-9 road. In addition, the construction work on A-32 road has also been started while the construction work on Silawathura-Murungan road has been completed by 90 percent.

The construction work on Puttalam, Mannar and Thalaimannar road has been commenced. The Road Development Authority has completed the construction work of a large number of access roads which led to the villages where the people have been resettled in the Eastern Province. The Maga Neguma project has spent Rs. 1,800 million to renovate the rural road network in Jaffna peninsula while the second stage of the project has allocated Rs. 2,900 million for this purpose. The Government has already constructed over 60 bridges in the North and the East provinces. The Kinniya bridge was vested in the public by the President recently as the country's longest bridge. The Government has also constructed bridges in eight places in the North and the East where ferries were used earlier to transport people. Before the Kinniya bridge was opened, the RDA had to spent Rs. 26 million annually on the ferry used for Kinniya bridge.

Q: How is the Central Government cooperating with Provincial Councils with regard to roads belonging to Provincial Councils?

A: The Central Government grants some money to maintain the 61,000 Km road network belongs to the Provincial Councils. In addition, the Provincial Councils and Local Government Ministry provide funds to Provincial Councils to implement special road sector development projects. The Central Government has given its assistance to the Road Department which comes under the purview of the Local Government Department to conduct the maintenance and other activities of roads.

Q: Has the Government planned to commence the construction work on Colombo-Kandy expressway without delay?

A: Following a discussion held with the World Bank mission currently in Sri Lanka, they pledged to fully fund to commence the construction work on Colombo-Kandy expressway which had been temporarily stopped. This is one of the significant achievements gained by the Government. The construction of Colombo-Kandy expressway would facilitate the people to travel without any traffic congestion.

Q: There are fears that the toll for the Southern expressway will be too high for many people. Is this true?

A: Earlier there was no program to charge any toll from those who use expressways. I submitted a Bill in Parliament and got it approved to charge a certain amount of money from those who use expressways. Initially, we have decided to charge Rs. 200 from those who use Southern expressway, Colombo-Katunayake expressway and Kaduwela-Wattala-Outer Circular expressway.

I think this is very reasonable amount and it would not be a burden to the people. Normally an expressway is used by a person who wants to go quickly. Others can use the normal track of the road.

Q: We can see more roads being concreted instead of using tar. Will the use of concrete be expanded in road construction?

A: This is a concept of the President. In the face of increasing world crude oil prices, the prices of tar may also go up. In comparison with tar prices, the cement prices will not go up rapidly. Even in US and UK, thousands of concreted roads can be seen. The cost used to maintain concreted roads in rural areas is very low rather than tarred roads. Therefore the Government has given priority to concrete roads.

Q: What are the foreign countries and leading agencies assisting road repair and construction?

A: A large number of foreign countries and donor agencies have pledged their assistance towards this task. At present Japan, Korea, China, France, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Iran have pledged to grant money to Government's road development projects. We will get more foreign assistance and investment to implement our road network next year. This would help us to increase the road network development carried out this year by three fold next year.

Q: Are there any plans to reduced the number of accidents through driver education, Police action etc. ?

A: Mainly this responsibility has been entrusted upon the Police Department and the Department of Motor Traffic. In order to reduce the accidents, the Ministry has commenced installing traffic lights in various key places and put up new flyovers. We also inform the Police to educate the public to use the pedestrian zebra crossings and pavements.

Q: The Opposition alleges that there is corruption in the road development sector. Is there any truth in these allegations?

A: The Opposition should have something to tell. There was not an era in Sri Lanka where the roads were constructed in this manner. The UNP has also governed this country for so many years. I would like to ask them what they have done in the North and the East or any other part of the country to develop roads. The Transport Minister of former UNP Government had visited Transport Ministry only four times during his two years in office. The UNP should contribute to the country's development work without making baseless allegations against the Government.

Q: Is the Government confident of winning any election handsomely, be it presidential or general?

A: Even though we said we are going to hold the Presidential Election first, the UNP Executive Committee has failed to find a candidate to put forward. The SLFP was also in the Opposition 17 years. But we always put forward our Party Leader as our Presidential candidate. We always had a firm confidence in our Party Leader.

But the UNP has decided that their Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is not suitable as their Presidential candidate. The JVP is also in the view that any of their members are not suitable as their Presidential candidate. Both the UNP and the JVP have accepted their defeat and understood they are not in a position to compete with President Mahinda Rajapaksa. This clearly indicates the position of the Opposition. But the Government is ready for any election at any time.

Q: Will any candidate, common or otherwise be able to pose a challenge to President Rajapaksa?

A: We could see how the UNP's vote base was reduced largely in all the recently concluded elections. The JVP also faced a severe setback in all these recently concluded elections.

The people have given a fine answer to both the UNP and the JVP. People are well aware what they are doing using their Parliamentary privileges. The people in villages are very practical. They cannot be cheated. The people have very good understanding of what this Government has done on behalf of them.

Q: Will there be more crossovers from the Opposition to the Government before polls?

A: A large number of Opposition members are willing to join the Government.

But we have stopped them as the Government has no seats in the Government side to accommodate them. Even today some Government MPs have to sit in the Opposition side due to lack of seats in the Government benches.

Therefore the Government will have to make some new benches in the Government side in future. Because the Opposition members think how many more years they have to be in the Opposition as the UNP is defeated in all elections.

A large number of Opposition members have discussed with the Government to crossover to the Government due to incapable leadership of their party Leader.