Outgoing CMC Special Commissioner spells out success story

By Ranil Wijayapala

With the Elections Department calling for nominations for 23 Local Government bodies to which elections were not held at the past two rounds of elections for local government bodies, both the Government and the Opposition are due to enter the fray for major local bodies in the country including the Colombo Municipal Council.

The city of Colombo has become a hot topic among the public and among the political circles due to the rapid development and beautification programs taking place and also due to political sensitivity of the city to both the Government and the Opposition.

As Sri Lanka's biggest Local Government body, the Colombo Municipal Council is awaiting to elect the Members to run it for the next five years the Sunday Observer met with Omar Kamil presently the Special Commissioner of the Colombo Municipal Council who is also a prospective candidate for the forthcoming elections to get his views about the future prospects of the Colombo city.

Following are excerpts of the interview:

Q: People are now talking about the changes that have taken place in the Colombo city in the recent past. As one of the key figures behind these changes can you explain how these took place in the Colombo city?

A: Development of city of Colombo started in the latter part of 2009 after I was appointed as the Chief City Administrator and later as the Special Commissioner by the President. I was asked to bring about a visible change in the Colombo city within a short period of time. We started the 100-day program immediately after I took over the council, under the guidance of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. In that 100-day programme we took steps, firstly to streamline the collection and disposal of garbage which was happening in a disorderly manner. We began to improve the needed infrastructure for this purpose.

Then we took steps to improve the public health through the Health Division of the Council. Through these programs we improved the services provided to the lesser fortunate through the Municipal Dispensaries and Ayurvedic dispensaries and through welfare facilities. In the past one year such improvements were unprecedented.

Thereafter we began the city beautification program to bring about changes particular in the main highways under the directions of Secretary to Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa and with the assistance made available by the Security Forces and the Police.

Through the interference of the Police and the Forces personnel we were able to ensure that there was discipline among the citizens relating to the dumping of garbage in the streets. Through that process laws were enforced properly not allowing the people to litter the streets as it happened in the past and dump garbage in a haphazard manner. We improved the collection of garbage in a manner that brought about a change particularly in the visibility of the city. For the first time the city looked cleaner. Even during the period the cricket world cup final matches were played, Colombo stood among the other cities in the south Asia as one of the clean and green cities.

I must say that Secretary of Defence continuously assisted us in this process and the Police and the Armed Forces very much assisted in the Independence Square development and also in the development of footwalks. It was at the behest of President Mahinda Rajapaksa that CMC undertook the development of three kilometres of the Galle Road which is now at its final stages. Prior to that we began to improve Marcus Fernando Mawatha as a one way street providing all the necessary footwalks and cycle track, as well as greenery landscape. These improvement came because of the determination of Secretary of Defence to see Colombo as one of the beautiful and improved cities in the South Asia.

Q: You have been a Member of the CMC, Deputy Mayor and a Mayor of the CMC. But you have to do all these things as the Special Commissioner. How did you manage all these when the Council is not in operation?

A: As you know being a Councillor, Deputy Mayor and a former Mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council I had the experience to work with Councillors as well as with the officials. When I took over the responsibility of the Council this time Councillors have been suspended. So I won the confidence of the officials whom I have known for a long time and got them to work as a team for the betterment of the Colombo city.

Q: Were there any constraints when performing your duties as the Special Commissioner?

A: I must say I am fortunate to work as the Special Commissioner because I know most of the officers for a long time. I also know what the city was looking forward to. Being a Councillor at one time I was aware of the needs of the general citizenry from the upper middle class right down to the grass roots level. That helped me bring about these changes taking into account the assistance extended by the Secretary of Defence.

Q: When carrying out these development and city beautification programs in the Colombo city the people living in low income settlements also were affected. Sometimes they were shifted from the places where they were living. How did you manage this situation?

A: Actually those who were living in their legitimate premises were not affected from these projects. Those who may have been illegally occupying the roads or pavement were relocated. We did this in a humane way as far as possible ensuring that their day-today life was not disrupted. So being a politician for more than 25 years I was able to handle them in a humane manner.

Q: There are complaints that all these development work and beautification programs are being conducted focusing more affluent areas in the city and the areas like Colombo North where a large number of population are living are ignored.

A: Actually the areas around Galle Road are commercial areas and we have to bring about immediate improvement in the commercial sector since the Colombo is the capital commercial hub of the country.

So improvements are naturally seen in more commercial areas. But at the same time we have not forgotten Colombo North area and we are now improving the Bloemandhal Road improving the Northern part of the city in the next few months.

That has been the program. We have not neglected the low income settlements and we have been improving the infrastructure facilities of the low income settlements through the 'Nagamu Purawara' program. We have allocated funds for these programs.

Q: The Government is talking about the establishment of Colombo Metropolitan Corporation. Are you aware what changes are going to take place with the establishment of this corporation?

A: Actually I must confess that I am aware only about what I am reading from the newspapers.

There have been reports that Colombo Municipal Council is also going to be included in the Colombo Metropolitan Corporation which is to be established incorporating Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte Municipal Council, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council, Kolonnawa Urban Council and Kotikawatta Pradeshiya Sabha. Apart from the things I have been reading from the newspapers I am not aware about any progress in this regard.

Q: Except for the city beautification and development programs focusing on the commercial areas what were the programs conducted to uplift the living standards of the people living in low income settlement or the urban poor?

A: Under the direction of President Mahinda Rajapaksa we conducted a survey in the low income settlement in the city. We have about 1500 low income settlements and in those settlements there are about 250,000 population. CMC together with the National Housing Development Authority, District Secretary Colombo and other agencies meet to improve the infrastructure facilities of the 200 low income settlements. So far we have improved over 200 settlements. It is an ongoing programme. We are providing basic amenities to low income settlements. At the same time we are improving the welfare facilities for the low income people. The CMC is providing 13,000 families with a monthly stipend. This year after 13 years we increased this stipend by 30 percent which is a biggest ever increase we have made. The CMC is also improving the community centres, reception halls, sports ground for the benefit of the low income people in the city.

Q: There is a complaint that despite carrying out all these city beautification and development programmes the CMC authorities failed to control the spread of dengue epidemic in the city. The number of dengue patients have increased 100 per cent compared to last year. Why couldn't the CMC control this situation effectively?

A: We must confess that the number of dengue patients are high compared to the good work we have done to control it. The garbage is regularly collected and disposed but still with the rainfall we found that the number of dengue patients are not down. This is due to the stagnation of water in certain public and private properties as well as large open spaces such as schools and private places but not on roads and pavements. This threat has not been taken seriously by the people in those areas and that is why there had been a high number of dengue patients. We are constantly making appeals to them to keep their places free from mosquito breeding grounds.

Q: The Elections Department has called for nominations for the remaining 23 Local Government bodies including that of the Colombo Municipal Council. What is your prospect for contesting the elections for the Colombo Municipal Council and becoming the mayoral candidate?

A: As you know for the Past three years we were able to bring about a visible change in the Colombo city. Elections are due to be held for the CMC. As a former Mayor and the Special Commissioner, my experience and my knowledge is certainly available to the Government which is going to put forward a team and I am certainly going to lead that team.

Q: The vote base in Colombo is titled in favour of the United National Party and there is a perception that the Government could not influence that vote base whatever the programs carried out. You are also originally from the UNP and joined hands with the President. What changes could the Government do to convince the vote base in Colombo if the Government needs to take over the rule of the CMC?

A: Colombo city has seen in the past that the majority vote is in favour of the UNP. But during the past six years the Government has brought about many changes and improved the quality of life of the people. The biggest problem this country has seen is the war.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa was able to end the war. We are now experiencing peace. That itself changed the minds of the voters. At the same time a lot of improvements have taken place in the city and I am sure the voters will place their trust strongly on the Government because they can see for themselves the good work the Government has done.

Q: What will be the result at the elections?

A: As I said, the changes that has taken place, the war has come to an end, peace is prevailing, economic activities are taking place and prosperity is there with us in the country.

Therefore I am sure that people will certainly vote for the Government because it is in the interest of the citizens of Colombo to get the Government representatives into the CMC too because the Government is now having the majority in the Parliament, in the Provincial Councils and also in the bulk of local councils. It is in the interest of the people of the Colombo Municipal Council that representatives of the present Government be brought to the Council.

Q: People say that it would be a tougher contest for the Government in the CMC?

A: Colombo certainly has been a tough place for the Government at any election. But Nothing is impossible.