SJB warns of move to privatise highwaysax

By Saman Indrajith

Giving state lands and projects to family members and relations was better than giving them to the Chinese, the SJB says.

SJB Kegalle District MP Kabir Hashim, opening the debate under the expenditure heads of the Ministry of Highways during the third reading debate on Budget 2021, said that the government was giving away state lands to Chinese investors.

“Isn’t handing over the lands to the Chinese on lease the first step towards privatisation? The decisions of the Highways Ministry are not taken by Minister Johnston Fernando or his Secretary R.W.R. Premasiri, but Secretary to the President, Dr P.B. Jayasundara.”

“Minister Johnston Fernando and his Secretary Premasiri are both talented persons. But their talent is not fully utilised. The Highways Ministry is very important. About one million people visit Colombo and 300,000 vehicles enter the city daily. Owing to traffic congestion, which leads to the waste of fuel and time we lose Rs. 1,000 million a day. Since I identified this problem we have launched several projects, including the New Kelani Bridge on pillars covering 2.5 km at a cost of Rs Rs. 40,000. The 9.5 km long outer circular highway connecting Kadawatha-Kerawalapitiya commenced after paying compensation to those who had lost lands to the project so the vehicles could now go from Mattala to Katunayake straight. We commenced a road on pillars from the Ingurukade junction via Chaithya Road to Galle Face.

“I think Minister Fernando is capable of continuing with the good work we initiated. Under the highways portfolio, there are 12,496 km. Some 34,000 km are under the Provincial Councils. There are 75,000 km of rural roads. Taken together there are roads measuring 120,000 km in the entire country. It is said that under your government all roads would be carpeted. This is something we have to wait and see. There are problems. All rural roads are under Minister Nimal Lanza. He has about 75,000 km under his purview. If we remove the roads under the Provincial Councils, the Minister Johnston will have only roads under the Road Development Authority and the Highways. There is a plan as per a Cabinet decision on Oct 12 to remove the Highways from Minister Johnston and be placed under a company headed by the Treasury Secretary. This is a joke. Both Secretary Premasiri and Minister Johnston Fernando are capable people. Then, why is this plan to set up a separate company? This is a plan with a hidden agenda. I table the Cabinet press briefing release. As per the press release the company to be set up would have the total responsibility of management of all highways. Although it is said that the said company is being set up under the Treasury, speculation is rife that a Singaporean company will be brought in and it will have 49 percent ownership and the Treasury 51 percent for 30 years. This is the first step towards privatising the highways. It is said that the lands coming under the Highways Ministry too would be given to them. What are those lands? The lands are those in and around Maradana, Beria Lake and the Manning Market. These will be finally given to the Chinese.

Prison Management and Prisoners Rehabilitation State Minister:

Lohan Ratwatte: You were the plantations minister once. Didn’t you give the lands of the Plantations Ministry to the kith and kin of yours?

MP Hashim:

It is better to give the lands to the family members and relatives than to the Chinese. Your government is giving state lands for 30 years to the Chinese.