An example to emulate
Dullas Alahapperuma who is quite
accustomed to blazing new trails in public affairs through his
commitment to 'clean politics' is busy once again setting lofty
standards in the discharging of Ministerial office.
We hope the standards and norms the Transport Minister is setting in
efficiency, conscientiousness, and simplicity, would prove very
infectious among his Ministerial colleagues and those holding high
public office in this country.
In an event which should go down in the history of local public
institutions as a watershed development, Minister Alahapperuma recently
directed that his photographs and those of some of his colleagues,
except those of the President, should never be displayed on the walls of
institutions coming under his purview.
The saving for the Ministry of Transport, through this judicious
measure is estimated at Rs. 1.2 million - a very substantial sum of
money by any standards. The Minister had directed that the money thus
saved be used for the purchase of railway sleepers.
Prior to this event Minister Alahapperuma had assumed office without
the usual extravagant fanfare associated with such events. More recently
he had toured certain bus depots and railway stations and awakened
several employees who were "napping" during working hours and had seen
for himself how these institutions are being run, if any running is
indeed being done.
It is plain that the Minister means business. What should be foremost
in the minds of Ministers and others holding public office is public
service and not self-glorification and self-aggrandizement. The
Transport Minister is out to prove this and we hope his example will be
emulated by others discharging responsibilities of a similar kind.
Nothing less than selfless service to the people is what is expected
of Ministers and this standard would need to be kept, if our political
elite is not to be seen as parasitic and self-serving.
Unfortunately, this principle tends to be observed more in the
breach. Public office, in very many cases, is seen as a means to
self-gain and self-glorification. Consequently, public office itself
comes to be degraded.
This has troubling long-term consequences. If public office is viewed
cynically by the public and is devalued by the latter, the conduct of
public affairs would not prove easy.
Indiscipline and law and order problems may arise as a result of
those who are supposed to wield authority being seen as dishonest and
not worthy of respect by the public. This tends to occur sometimes in
the area of law enforcement.
Therefore it is vitally important that all public figures without
exemption, infuse a degree of conscientiousness, competence and
industriousness into their work.
The future well-being of Sri Lanka could very well depend on it. |
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