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Kegalle - The foothills of Sri Lanka's central mountainous region were once described as self-sufficient - not because they had a huge agricultural sector, but because the rural farmer was able to fulfil his basic food requirements. The low- lands of this agricultural district of Sabaragamuwa have a clear quota of paddy, while tea and rubber claims the greater portion of highland allocated for cultivation. A few kilometres away from the city is the Pinnawala elephant orphanage,the biggest tourist attraction of the district. Deep in the countryside, close to the Ratnapura-Kegalle border lies Kitulgala, where the famous "Bridge on the river Kwai" was filmed. Mawanella, Rabukkana, Ruwanwella and Galigomuwa are the main towns of the district. Utuwan Kanda, where the legendary bandit Saradiyel had his hide-out, is few miles away from Mawanella. Although the natural beauty of the district is in abundance, it has not been spared the inherited problems of Sri Lankan State. Pot-holed roads, poor education and health care facilities, and long neglected infrastructure in the district underline the need for massive development. Such a project is essential for the revival of the stagnant local economy. Contesting Parties People's Alliance, United National Party, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, Eksath Sinhala Maha Sabawa,National Development Front, New Left Front, Bahujana Nidahas Peramuna, Liberal Party, Sri Lanka Progressive Front, Sihala Urumaya, Sinhalaye Maha Sammatha Bhumi Putra Pakshaya. Registered Voters Dedigama - 76,475 Galigamuwa - 59,001 Kegalle - 61,325 Rambukkana 1 - 56,580 Mawanella - 3,064 Aranayake - 47,648 Yatiyantota - 62,548 Ruwanwella - 61,914 Deraniyagala - 56,143 Total registered voters - 554,698 More attempts to upgrade gem and jewellery- Athauda Seneviratne [PA] Former Chief Minister Athauda Seneviratne pledges to continue development activities he had initiated. He insists on setting up an industrial park capable of providing 30,000 jobs at the "Digana estate." Claiming that 90 percent of the roads in the district were upgraded during his tenure as the Chief Minister, he promises to continue the development process. He claims he should be credited for the Road Development Plan of the Kegalle District, in which the maintenance of roads within the district was designated to the Central Government, Provincial Council, and local government bodies. The teacher turned politician says he has done his utmost to upgrade public transport facilities which he pledges to upgrade through the Asian Development Bank aid. Claiming that the school facilities were developed during the last few years, Seneviratne promises to continue in the same program. During the last few years a number of schools were provided with laboratory facilities and computer centres with the ADB and Japanese aid. A former Minister, Seneviratne plans to improve the drinking water supplies with the ADB assistance. He plans to set up five projects to fulfil the demand for the potable water. He promises to develop the gem and jewellery industry, and thus increase employment opportunities. Special courses in gem and jewellery craftsmanship have commenced at the Warakapola Technical College, he adds. Educated at Tholongamuwa Central College and St. Joseph's College, Gampola, Seneviratne worked at the Co-operative Wholesale Establishment, before he entered politics in 1960. At the 1994 General Elections he was elected MP from Kegalle and appointed as Deputy Minister of Public Administration, Plantation Industries and Parliamentary Affairs. Athauda, once a live wire of the LSSP, later joined the PA due to political differences. More industries- Rukman Senanayake [UNP] The UNP's leader in Kegalle pledges to rebuild the desolate economy of the district by restoring and shifting industries connected to the raw material available in the district. Since much of the district's population depends on rubber he emphasise the need for setting up rubber based industries in the district to boost the income level of small holders by ensuring a better price for their latex. The businessman turned politician says rubber planters in the district are undergoing a hard time due to lower prices. He also pledges to provide relief measures for tea small holders and the farmers in the district. As a solution for the unemployment problem in the district he pledges to reopen all the garment factories which are now closed due to economic crisis. He pledges a better road network rebuilding dilapidated roads with special attention to the roads in Deraniyagala and Aranayaka. The problems faced by students in some areas in Aranayaka and Deraniyagala due to the closure of some schools will also be given special attention, he says. A grand son of Sri Lanka's first Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake and a
son of Robert Senanayake, Rukman Senanayake first entered Parliament in
1973 as the Member for Dedigama. But, he was sacked from the UNP by then
UNP leader J.R. Jayawardene on the grounds of breach of discipline. Later
he formed the Eksath Lanka Janatha Party with Dr. Gamini Wijesekera who
later became the UNP General Secretary. The ELJP won the confidence of the
JVP during the 1989-1990 period. He tried to facilitate negotiations
between the then Government and the JVP, but was unsuccessful. He returned
to the UNP in 1990 after dissolving the ELJP.
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