|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Friday, 18 June 2004 |
 |
|
 |
News | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
by Nadira Gunatilleke Road accidents have made a negative impact on the country's economy. When estimating the damage caused to vehicles, casualties, medical treatment, traffic, pollution and the loss of man hours, it leads to a significant negative impact on the country's economic growth, said IGP Indra de Silva. Addressing a press briefing at the Police Headquarters, Colombo, yesterday, he said the number of road accidents in Sri Lanka is also increasing at an alarming rate. "Road accidents kill five people daily in Sri Lanka. Bus drivers cause most of the road accidents. Motor cycle riders and three wheeler drivers are second and third. When compared with deaths caused by crime, the number of deaths caused by road accidents is very high," he said. Sri Lanka's crime rate is not increasing parallel to the rate of population growth. But the ruthlessness of the crimes is increasing rapidly, the IGP said. He said this has raised fear among the public. "Media plays a major role when it comes to social destruction. It is the responsibility of the mass media to create a society that respects law and order," he said. The IGP also said the Narcotics trade is conducted as an organised crime and the whole world is affected by this. Since global eradication is not practical it is better to tackle the problem at regional level. Coordination among the SAARC countries play a major role in eradicating the drug business in the South Asian region. About 40 per cent of prisoners are arrested for drug related crimes, the IGP said. The briefing was held in connection with the Drug Prevention week to be held from June 25 to July 2. The World Anti Narcotic Day falls on June 26. The IGP said there is a handful of big scale drug traffickers in the country. "Others are agents and drug addicts. The agents do not think that they are engaged in a unlawful business because they have inherited it from their previous generations. An income generating avenue should be provided for them to liberate them from drug business", he said. The IGP said media plays a major role in eradicating drug related crimes. The media should not publish important information useful for investigations and information that help perpetrators to take action to avoid and escape investigations. He said police reward informants providing genuine information about drugs. The prize money for providing genuine information to arrest drugs over 1 kilo is Rs. 75,000 per kilo while it is Rs. 50,000 for 250 grams to 500 grams. Rs.35,000 will be paid for providing information on drugs amounting 100 to 250 grams while it is Rs. 25,000 for 50 to 100 grams. Rs. 15,000 will be paid for 10 to 50 grams. Eradication of narcotics is being done in three stages. Police are arresting big scale drug traffickers, agents and rehabilitating drug addicts. Terrorists are among the main groups engaged in this business. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
