KULIYAPITIYA: Transport Minister Dallas Alahapperuma said that those who passed defamatory remarks on General Sarath Fonseka, saying that he was not even fit to head the Salvation Army, when he was leading the humanitarian operations, were now hailing him as the hero who won the war against the terrorists. "It is true that he is a hero, and his heroism was recognised by President Mahinda Rajapaksa who appointed him the Chief of Defence Staff. I don’t believe that General Fonseka would betray the victory of the security forces by joining those who betrayed the country to the separatists."

The minister was speaking at the inauguration of the Wayamba ‘Gami Saviya’ SLTB services at the Kuliyapitiya SLTB Depot premises.

He said there were conspiracies to reverse the victory over the LTTE separatists. The next item on the national agenda of the government was to defeat such conspiracies.

"Under the guidance of President Mahinda Rajapaksa the rapid progress made is visible in every sector of activity. Public transport services too had achieved a remarkable progress. The SLTB and Railway are operated giving prominence to the commuters. Our motto is Commuter first," he said.

"The General Secretary of the main opposition party Tissa Attanayake had told a Sunday paper that ‘not Dallas but even Lenin cannot make the public transport service profitable’. That was their policy. They paid no heed for the common man but listened only to the super class who owned cars and jeeps. I daresay whatever said of Lenin, Dallas can make the public transport service profitable under the proper guidance of the President Mahinda Rajapaksa," the minister said with confidence.

Minister of Media and Information, Enterprise Development and Investment Promotions Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said the UNP government of 2002-2004 had decentralised the SLTB on the provincial basis with the intention of selling the provincial units. Since that change caused chaos among the employees the sale of the SLTB assets was suspended.