![Gossip Lanka News [English]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYm2aFFq-bIW1nWX-RrqnPFoIsVos6_VCVz8BpLt0QJi55GNXHXC2fugeRvL0qUStEuCfs7Sfu6ZiSlhrkldxfGuE_wzy5gitY6rMZ2KSi8VBbGvkgXLks37RwZV-4-HKbWiNLRxB8C_r1e4z3mpxFTMPDJPEADoG8E-bZteWFipeD5KNGbjvCfqEfKw=s300 "Gossip Lanka News [English]")
Rocks fallen on 18th Bend ......when Tilvin and Mahipala were travelling
As a result of torrential rain, a boulder of soil had fallen across in the area on the 3rd and 4th Bend of the 18th Bend on Route 26 of Mahiyangana - Kandy road at about 5.30 in the morning yesterday (Jan 15), thus blocking means of transport for a period of 5 hours.
A long queue of vehicles was seen on the road and among those in the queue was Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Chief Secretary Mr. Tilvin Silva and Sabaragamuwa Chief
Minister Mr. Mahipala Herath. The two of them on that occasion were proceeding to Mahiyangana. Though Hasalaka police informed the authorities concerned, the dozer drivers were on holiday because it was a Poya Day. Finally, a dozer belonging to a private owner had to be summoned and it was after it took about 5 hours to clear the debris and the fallen rocks across the road that it was made possible for the traffic to proceed.
Because the dozer took long to arrive there, a long queue of vehicles had begun to buildup and passengers inside vehicles and lorry drivers who were there got together striving to break up the rocks with means of sledge hammers which ultimately helped motor cyclists and three-wheel drivers to proceed.
As there was a delay in removing rocks from the road, Mr. Tilvin Silva of the JVP had to get down a vehicle from Mahiyangana area and proceed on this journey to Mahiyangana while Chief Minister Mahipala Herath left at about 10.30 in the morning when the situation became at ease for the traffic to pass by.
Chief Minister Mahipala Herath having seen Tilvin going away in another vehicle had said that he had noticed him passing him on foot saying something. "He may have kept on saying that this rock had fallen because of a blunder of the government. What they see is something wrong with the government no". The Chief Minister said that he will say that the fault for the delay in his journey is a mistake of the government.
Tilvin Silva in his speech made at Badulla last evening (Jan 16) had said:
"This government has confused hastiness of development and though the benefits of that development is for those who are reaping commissions and for higher ups in the government, there's nothing for the masses. What the public in most instances have in most instances is problems. In recent times .... several roads were built in a mighty big hurry. During rainy times those roads frequently had to be closed. Blocks of soil keep falling down and rocks come down. There's no standard at all. The government has cut down the mountains and constructed roads without any standard ... and it's because of that, that the public have to kill time on the roads".
