• North-East demerger - call for review

• Enact legislation to control promotion of tobacco

• Weekly pay

• Raising old TCs

North-East demerger - call for review

Since 1989 every year in the month of November, before a specific date a decree signed by the President leaves the Presidential Secretariat to the Government printer to be gazetted.

This is to give the annual lease of life to the North-East merger. Not much publicity is given to this missive but it has the effect of legitimising the merger of our Northern and Eastern provinces which from the outset was not legal.

One of the preliminary conditions for the merger was the surrender of arms which the terrorists held as at July 1987. Nothing of the sort has taken place up to this day and even the proposed referendum in this act of legislation has not taken place.

One wonders whether it is legal or not and this annual gazette notifications appear to give it a semblance of legality.

It has been reported that this year too this gazette notification has been published. I have not seen it but if it has not been gazetted this merger ceases to exist and the North and East remain separate provinces. The circumstances under which the merger took place is well-known and now fears are expressed by the timid and pessimists that a demerger will result in war. There is a significant difference between waging war, threatening to go to war and sporadic isolated incidents at check points and locations.

The LTTE is nowhere near a war because they are not capable of one. They are truly threatening a war which could be a day dream but they are performing isolated attacks to show they have little steam left in them.

While no one wishes a war and the LTTEs are furthest away from it and do not want it, war is unlikely. With new faces and new attitudes one hopes the same old record will not be played in our peace process.

Aravinda Gautamadasa,
Nawala

Enact legislation to control promotion of tobacco

Setting up of an authority to reduce the harm from tobacco and alcohol use is a long overdue step. The proposal for legislation was presented to Parliament many years ago, but not implemented due to loads of influences. Lagging the proposed legislation behind for years have allowed several thousands of people to die in vain.

The necessity for such legislation is not only for medical reasons. Sri Lanka who became a party to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) of the World Health Organisation by already ratifying this health treaty is bound for appropriate legislative enactment of its provisions.

The provisions of FCTC refer to legislation to control promotion of tobacco use to minimize its harm. This global health treaty approved these provisions based on the evidence of the vast health damage that is being caused due to tobacco use, especially in the form of smoking. Many developed countries have prohibited promotion of alcohol and tobacco. Though it is very often highly glamorized and highlighted that alcohol consumption would improve health, there is no scientific proof to that effect.

Therefore, the entire society interested in the welfare of the population should give in their strong support to this proposed legislation in the form of a private bill. It is evident that the economic and social harm caused due to use of both alcohol and tobacco is at large on poor community.

Therefore the burden on the Government and the society on their falling sick and causing death will be more. If you make your contribution to support this legislation, it will certainly save several thousands of lives. This legislation is to prevent untimely death and avoidable diseases.

We should strive hard to go hand in hand with the rest of the world, especially with the developed countries in taking every measure to protect the lives of our own fellow beings from this menace and to prevent harm.

Manjari Peiris,
Maharagama

Weekly pay

With the Cost of Living reaching stellar heights and the common man struggling to exist, it would be a good idea if the government could introduce weekly pay, like in many advanced countries.

This would obviate the necessity of employees obtaining money at exorbitant interest rates from money lenders. Friday of every week could be pay day.

If such a scheme is implemented there would be a marked improvement in the attendance at offices. It would also encourage employees to work more efficiently and reduce their indebtedness to a great extent.

J. T. Mirando,
Negombo

Raising old TCs

Before the Local Government elections the old Town Councils should be elevated to the rank of Urban Councils.

The former Town Councils were absorbed into Pradeshiya Sabhas thereby denying the rate payers of the areas from enjoying the enhanced benefits of an Urban Council administration.

Former Town Councils like Wennappuwa, Nattandiya, Madampe and Kalpitiya in the Puttalam District which have become big towns, and raising them to Urban Council level needs immediate attention by the Ministry of Local Government.

Nevis Fernando,
Nattandiya