July 07, Colombo: Speaker of the Sri Lankan parliament Chamal Rajapaksa has directed the Local Government and Provincial Councils Ministry to investigate into an issue raised by main opposition United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekera.
Jayasekera has alleged that Palmyra trees have come up on an asphalted road in the Puttalam District.
He has told parliament that the road from Palakuda Junction to St. Anne’ Church at Thalawila which is only about 3.5 km long was repaired at a cost of over Rs. 70 million and that trees are now coming up in the middle of the road.
The UNP MP had questioned the government how a tree had sprouted on a carpeted road and whether action would be taken about the matter since obviously inferior quality products have been used to carpet the road.
Speaker Rajapaksa has said that the issue could not be ignored and recommended that the Ministry inquire into the matter.
July 13, 2012 at 4:22 pm
//Sri Lanka, according to the Ruling Family, is to become an infrastructure hub. Yet, Palmyra trees are sprouting on a road in the Puttalam district. The road was recently carpeted at the cost of Rs. 70 million. When the issue came up in parliament, the Deputy Minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils had a one-of-a-kind response. Initially he claimed that if Palmyra seeds get mixed with the tar accidentally, they can take root. When told that the chemical properties of the tar would be toxic to plants he responded by saying that it is quite usual for trees to sprout on roads: “There are roads round the world, including highways, where grass and other plants have popped up. That is nothing new” (Ceylon Today – 7.7.2012). Fortunately the Speaker showed a degree of affinity with reality unusual for a Rajapaksa (as he does occasionally) and told the Deputy Minister to investigate the matter immediately, quipping, “This is a matter that cannot be ignored. At this rate Palmyra trees could come up even here (in the chamber)” (ibid).
Is it a case of trees sprouting on roads while agricultural lands are vandalised to build?//
- Asian Tribune 07/07/2012
July 11, 2012 at 2:13 pm
this is made in Chines road + commission to Big man