Thursday, 9 May 2002  
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Patriotism in public sector activities

The lesson to learn from the power crisis is that the politicians, the priests, the pastors and laymen should not try to influence the decisions of the professionals in any field, be it in electricity, health, railway, CTB, housing, urban development, irrigation or agriculture.

Recent unconventional move of allowing a "financial advisor" to a leading ministry to dictate to professionals in the financial sector is another such bureaucratic bungling. This individual has been allowed to decide, dictate, direct and command and to be an authority on the country's future, without any kind of appointment - permanent, temporary, casual, daily paid or even as a substitute.

Loss of expertise in any field, will not bear fruitful results in that particular field. A mouthful has been said by the Engineer's Union of the CEB, and the Institution of Engineers of Sri Lanka.

Hats off for calling "a spade a spade". That is professional leadership. Country needs people of your calibre. Well done. We hate to see professional leaders organising wild cat strikes protesting against pavement hawkers or thugs. Professionalism could effectively handle lawlessness. CEB engineers and Institution of Engineers has given a good lesson for those who are always hell-bend for opposing. The country needs, "Patriots" and "Statesmen" and not uneducated illiterate, nincompoop politicians.

There is sufficient evidence of interference by politicos into public service appointments, promotions, transfers, disciplinary affairs, finances, misuse of departmental funds, infrastructure (vehicles, drivers, fuel) etc.

We hear of interference into disciplinary matters in the services, in agriculture, in transport, in health, this should cease, without making departmental chiefs their political puppets. It is said that Rs. 85,000 is spent on fuel when only two vehicles are allowed per Minister. We see that wives, children, brothers, sisters other kith and kin and other political "henchaiyas" using official vehicles (12 by a certain Minister) vehicles, drivers and fuel. When are we to rectify these misdoings, and direct country in its correct part. It's now or never. Political leadership should be exemplary, country does not expect the present leadership to follow its predecessors.

BERTY NANAYAKKARA  Narahenpita.

 

Sacrifice of traditional lands for construction of reservoirs and power stations

The Nation must pay tribute to the thousands of innocent peasants who donated their traditional Homelands for construction of reservoirs and power stations in this country specially to the upcountry patriotic peasants. They were also suffering during British colonial administration due to acquiring of their lands by unjustifiable manner.

Ultimately their lands were converted to coffee or tea plantations. The Government must take steps to provide electricity power at concessionary rates to this people. This will open the eyes of the people who resist to give their lands to construct power stations for selfish interests.

DR. I. S. JAYASINGHE- Kandy

 

Illegal immigrants to Italy

In response to appeals made by the Government of Sri Lanka regarding the pathetic plight of Sri Lankan immigrants to Italy, it was a relief to hear and read in the news media a statement made by the Ambassador for Italy that on a quota system workers will be permitted to enter Italy and work there.

This move is being adopted in order to drastically cut down on Sri Lankans illegally entering Italy.Those who have illegally entered Italy earlier deserve sympathy as they are going through serious hardships without the valid papers needed to find jobs there. If their presence in Italy is regularised they will be permitted to get jobs and live with dignity, paying all the due taxes and contribute to the Italian economy.

Now as refugees they are a source of worry to their relatives and close associates who have great anxiety about them. Moreover their illegal status is an embarrassment to Italian society.

We appeal to the Ambassador for Italy and to our Foreign Minister to present these facts to the higher authorities in Italy, to look upon this final group of illegal immigrants mercifully.

A.M. - Negombo.

 

District Councils

The government's view as expressed by the Minister of Local Government, Provincial Councils that the Provincial Councils will be done away with when their term expires in April 2004 is very laudable.

Why wait till April 2004 to set up the District Councils in place of the Provincial Councils with the LTTE wishing to enter the main stream of politics as early as possible. A way should be found to accommodate their representatives and absorb the present Provincial Councillors to the District Councils and dissolve the Provincial Councils early.

NEVIS FERNANDO - Nattandiya.

 

Indian visa

It is impossible to get any information from an authoritative officer in the Indian High Commission on any matter whatever. Those manning the entrance downstairs are rude and far from courteous. The Sri Lankan police, only one or two of them being detailed here do very little to maintain order in the queue and are either inactive or turn a blind eye to what is happening in the queue.

If by some chance you are given a number on your application and directed upstairs pandemonium prevails there. In no other embassy or High Commission are Sri Lankans treated so shabbily.

Invariably if you happen to reach the counter upstairs and your application is duly processed you are asked to come another day or may be on two or three other days. It will thus be seen that one has to go to the High Commission for many days to obtain his visa. Just imagine the plight of an employee who has to take leave from his office! The high Commission some time ago issuing a Press release published in the local newspapers said that "it is happy to learn that the number of Sri Lankans visiting India for various purposes is on the increase. Some steps have been taken to streamline the issue of visas".

Among these arrangements, one was to exempt elders over the age of 65 from standing in queues. It also said that "in the case of families (husband, wife and children) the husband or wife may submit applications on behalf of other members. This latter is strangely not being followed.

While genuine travellers, for instance to Buddha Gaya in the North or to places of worship in South India, are treated shabbily, representatives of Pettah traders (not business class) who frequent India to bring loads of goods (this can be seen in the plane on the return flight) for sale here are given five star treatment.

Somasundaram- Dehiwala.

 

Tobacco ruined her

I read with melancholy the sad story of a once beauty queen who had undergone trauma due to unexpected severe burns.

We should never expect to happen such a dilemma to anybody in this world. Similarly we all should try to learn a lesson out of her irony of fate.

She has explained as to how she had met with this accident, "I had a bad habit of smoking. On that particular day as usual I lit up a cigarette in the night and went to bed. Without my knowledge the cigarette had fallen on to my pillow and later on to my hair and then the whole body had been burnt down."

Also she has accepted that she had attended nightclubs and even given her contribution for tobacco promotion activities.Those who had brought her disaster and washed their hands off her had thrown her out. Those who promoted their products out of her hard labour now turn away without helping her to find funds for her surgery.

DR. JAGATH WANIGASURIYA - Borelasgamuwa.

 

Well done

At the beginning of the new UNP regime in the last couple of weeks of 2001, the major problem the new Government had to face was the severe power crisis prevailing in the country. As a result most of the industries had either to be closed down or to reduce production capacities severely, thereby retrenching workers; while keeping the whole nation in darkness for 5 hours a day.

The full burden of solving the over 300 Mega Watt power shortage was bestowed on Mr. Karu Jayasuriya when we was appointed as the Minister of Power and Energy by the Prime Minister, probably knowing his capabilities.

He faced this challenge not only audaciously, but also by promising the nation that he will solve this "impossible" problem within 180 days failing which he will resign from the portfolio. This is a very rare statement to be made by a local politician. Not only the public, even the media at that time had doubts about his achieving this goal and the problem was worsened for him due to the unexpected obstacles he had to face at the beginning from the officials of the C.E.B. His most trusted Chairman had to resign due to various reasons.

However, thanks to the brave manner in which he tackled it, he has been able to solve this national problem successfully with about a month to spare, before the dead-line.

Even then, not only has he been able to provide the electricity requirements by means of generators imported and installed in the most transparent manner, but he has been able to reserve the precious water in reservoirs amounting for the generation of over 400 Mega Watts for the future emergencies.

Further, he has assured the nation that even if there is a drought in the future, the nation will not have to be in darkness again and industries will not have to suffer. Based on this performance. The most appropriate nick-name for him for the future is not "Karuwala Jayasuriya", but "Karyakshama Jayasuriya".

KEERTHI TILLEKERATNE- Kohuwala.

 

Patriotism in public sector activities

The lesson to learn from the power crisis is that the politicians, the priests, the pastors and laymen should not try to influence the decisions of the professionals in any field, be it in electricity, health, railway, CTB, housing, urban development, irrigation or agriculture.

Recent unconventional move of allowing a "financial advisor" to a leading ministry to dictate to professionals in the financial sector is another such bureaucratic bungling. This individual has been allowed to decide, dictate, direct and command and to be an authority on the country's future, without any kind of appointment - permanent, temporary, casual, daily paid or even as a substitute.

Loss of expertise in any field, will not bear fruitful results in that particular field. A mouthful has been said by the Engineer's Union of the CEB, and the Institution of Engineers of Sri Lanka.

Hats off for calling "a spade a spade". That is professional leadership. Country needs people of your calibre. Well done. We hate to see professional leaders organising wild cat strikes protesting against pavement hawkers or thugs. Professionalism could effectively handle lawlessness. CEB engineers and Institution of Engineers has given a good lesson for those who are always hell-bend for opposing.

The country needs, "Patriots" and "Statesmen" and not uneducated illiterate, nincompoop politicians.There is sufficient evidence of interference by politicos into public service appointments, promotions, transfers, disciplinary affairs, finances, misuse of departmental funds, infrastructure (vehicles, drivers, fuel) etc.

We hear of interference into disciplinary matters in the services, in agriculture, in transport, in health, this should cease, without making departmental chiefs their political puppets. It is said that Rs. 85,000 is spent on fuel when only two vehicles are allowed per Minister.

We see that wives, children, brothers, sisters other kith and kin and other political "henchaiyas" using official vehicles (12 by a certain Minister) vehicles, drivers and fuel. When are we to rectify these misdoings, and direct country in its correct part. It's now or never. Political leadership should be exemplary, country does not expect the present leadership to follow its predecessors.

BERTY NANAYAKKARA - Narahenpita.

 

Why Oil Palm?

A controversy has arisen whether to cultivate oil palm or not. According to some newspapers, the Ministry of Plantation Industries is planning to cultivate oil palm in around 20,000 ha of uneconomic rubber lands.

In Sri Lanka, Rubber is cultivated in nearly 250,000 hectares and the rubber industry provides livelihood to nearly 150,000 rubber smallholders. Rubber produced in the country is mostly exported as raw rubber and this is one reason why rubber production has become uneconomical. Another reason is the relatively low yield of rubber.

The average rubber yield in Sri Lanka has decreased during the decade, and at present is around 550 kg./ha.

In Thailand the average yield is around 1200 kg/ha, and the average for the Natural Rubber Producing Countries (India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka and Thailand) is around 700 kg/ha. If the cultivation of rubber is uneconomic, the Rubber Research Board or some other organization need to examine why it is so and take relevant action to make rubber cultivation profitable.

In countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia vast extents of lands are cultivated with rubber. In Sri Lanka, rubber produced is motly exported in different forms of raw-rubber.

However, during the last decade the domestic consumption of rubber has increased considerably. At present, around 60% of the rubber produced is consumed locally in the manufacture of various value added products. The demand for rubber based products is bound to increase and hence the future of rubber would not be bleak, provided that organizations such Board of Investments (BOI), Export Development Board (EDB) and Rubber Research Institute (RRI) implement appropriate joint program to produce and market value added products of rubber. Especially BOI and EDB need to promote investments in the manufacture of value added forms of rubber in Sri Lanka.

The environmental and social impacts of cultivating oil palm have been explained in detail in a press release from the Environmental Foundation of Sri Lanka, published in a newspaper of 4th April 2002, and simply because oil palm is more economical than rubber, we should not jump at uprooting rubber and cultivating oil palm.

If the purpose of cultivating oil palm is to increase local production of oil in the country, there are better oil crops to be cultivated than oil palm.

Coconut is one of the best alternative, as this crop, in addition to providing oil, supplies many other products such as coconut poonac, coconut fibre, timber, shell etc. which yield to a number of agro-industries. Hence, it would be far better to promote the cultivation and production of coconut rather than trying to cultivate an alien crop. Also, there are many other oil crops such as soybean, sunflower which can be cultivated in the country if the local production of oil is inadequate.

It is important that all aspects of cultivation of oil palm need to be looked into before cultivating this crop.

PROF. C.S. WEERARATNA- Ratmalana.

 

Wesak cards

Restricting the printing of Wesak cards to within the bounds of acceptability is an excellent act considering where these cards finally end up, is it correct to have the image of the Buddha printed on them? What-about-stone pillars, a bo-leaf a verse inside?

LS - Colombo 5

Crescat Development Ltd.

www.priu.gov.lk

www.helpheroes.lk


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