Info required - "Wide API calls" in Win32 Perl >= 5.8.2

After switching from perl 5.8.0 build 806 to perl 5.8.2 build 808
I found that the ability to invoke Win32 wide api calls was silently
removed (-C command line switch or ${^WIDE_SYSTEM_CALLS}=1).

This change however removes not only the possibility to use "UNICODE"
names but also access to files and folders with names longer than 255 bytes.

Maybe somebody knows:
        a.) about a way to invoke the wide API interface
        b.) plans about the future of  the usage of wide API calls in perl
            for windows (32/64) >  5.8.2.
and
        c.) who is the maintainer of the win32 perl (ActivePerl) port
            of the I/O subsystem.

Thanks