People's Voices: To Whom It May Concern

Unhappy that the lane which leads to your house has not been repaired despite constant reminders ?

Angry that the garbage is not collected daily ?

Do you fume that though the clerk at the Ministry promised to look into your issue, he has not even called you even after six months ? Is the road leading to your house in the darkness as the street lights are not working ? Or conversely, are they on even in daytime thus wasting public funds ?

No room to walk on the pavement as it is blocked by vendors and vehicles ? Feel frustrated by the lethargic service at Government departments ? Experience frequent power and water interruptions ? Furious that all the roads are flooded after just half an hour of heavy rain ?

If you have been sent from pillar to the post in trying to resolve these matters, the Daily News is here to help. We will soon start a column where you will get the opportunity of sharing your grievances on any such issue that affects the public.

Keep your missives brief and to the point. Mention to whom it should be addressed to or who should be responsible.

We will play the role of a watchdog and publish these letters. Photographs too could be forwarded to illustrate your complaints.

We expect Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Chief Ministers, provincial Ministers, Secretaries to Ministries, departmental Heads and Chairpersons of local bodies to respond to your complaints directly.

Write to us: Readers Forum, Daily News, PO Box 1217, Colombo or email us: [email protected]. Fax: 011-2343694.

Please state your name, address and contact details clearly.

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Over to you Environment Minister, Moratuwa UC

Being brought up since I was a four year old at one of the best universities of culture, society and brotherhood in Soysapura Flats housing scheme, it is heartening to pen down this letter about this once beautiful piece of living paradise Soysapura housing scheme which has turned out to a hell of a living experience by now.

I am 37 years now and still visit this University of culture and brotherhood when I land in Sri Lanka to meet some of my relatives and old friends whom with I rekindle old memories.

I refuse to stay even one night in this scheme anymore because the once very well laid streets in the scheme is rugged and filled with deadly potholes, once clean and running drains are clogged with rubbish which had made the place a mosquitoes paradise, once clean and green play grounds now turned out to flabby day car centres depriving the up and coming growing little ones and the young ones of valuable physical exercise.

Long time ago people around the blocks used to hold the annual bachelors Vs married cricket matches, inter block rugby 7 a side games, annual football matches which young ones and the old took part eagerly in a gamely manner. There were wonderful trees to give us some shade and wind during and after a game of cricket and football, there were these famous ice cream man "Muni" who used to come to the play ground and treat us with his tasty ice cones (whom I met recently and he is still going good).

Now this paradise once used to be has turned out to be a very commercial and concrete jungle with no human touch.

Every person in this scheme lives in fear due to day light robbery, murders, underworld activity and even secret terrorist activities suspected. Most of the house owners have sold their houses to Tamil minority families and runaway to different locations due to these malpractices.

I am not against Tamils or their families but these are the only people who are willing people to pay a sum and live in the city scheme since they are misplaced or no place to live safely. I am also not ruling out Tamil people who also live in this scheme going through suspicious activity.

Hence this once paradise to live, Soysapura has turned out to be ugly and sour, living-hell. I remember once my in laws had to painfully call and visit the municipality offices to manually persuade them to clean the garbage bins because they were getting rotten and there were worms coming out visibly. They had to buy Dettol cans to clean up the place even after the Municipality cleaned them up finally.

I do not know if this scheme is victimised due to political pressure but some thing needs to be done. Kindly look in to this matter very seriously since this is a place which is very close to the SLAF base in Ratmalana and an ideal launching pad for the unwanted.

Don't keep a blind eye on this issue since we have children growing up who loves to enjoy this scheme which was once relished by us when we were young. Now I have no choice but to tell them tales of Soysapura as an ancient site.

Roshan Mohamed, Moratuwa

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Over to you Colombo Mayor

I work in an office in Kollupitiya. The staff transport van I travel in drops me off on Galle Road and due to the one way system that was recently effected, I am compelled to walk down to Duplication Road (through Abdul Cafoor Mawatha) in the evenings to get into the van.

There is an open gulley/manhole down this road, right next to the American National College car park through which a grown person could easily fall through. I have been walking down this road daily and have never seen this manhole/gulley before, may be as this was closed with a concrete slab.

On April 27, there was torrential rain around 5.40 p.m. and I was walking as usual down Abdul Cafoor Mawatha, when one minute I was walking and the next instant I fell into this manhole/gulley.

By some luck, only one foot went through right up to my waist and I managed to hold on to the edge with my elbow.

I pulled myself out (minus one shoe) and my first thought was utter shame since there was quite a lot of traffic on the road at that time. I immediately stopped a three-wheeler and only after I got in, I realised the extent of the damage to myself.

The upper part of my right thigh was deeply cut in a zig-zag pattern and I could not move the leg even to get off the three-wheeler. I was basically carried out of it. Apart from this, my right elbow and left knee too was severely injured.

After I heard the incident at Colombo 7 where a woman fell to her death, I just thanked God to be alive. The next week I went there with one of my colleagues to check this out and found the manhole/gulley to be about 4 1/2' deep. I was informed by some three-wheeler drivers who usually park there that there was a small bamboo placed there to warn people which had somehow got washed away.

After my fall, they have placed a branch but I hate to think what could happen during the next round of rain. I won't be the next victim because I was made aware of it the hard way. But what if another person, specially a little child have to face this ordeal? Would they be as lucky as me or as unfortunate as the woman at Colombo 7? This is what made me write to you.

I will never forgive myself if someone else falls into this particular manhole/gulley and I had done nothing about it.

So now I leave this in your very capable hands and hope that immediate action will be taken by the CMC to rectify this problem.

Anonymous

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Highways Minister, Colombo MC for your attention

I am using the Siddaratha Road off High level Road to drop my daughter at Ilma International Grils Schools.

There are three schools in the above road, and the road is under construction for the last two years.

Thousands of motorists taking this road to drop the children in the schools are facing severe hardship due to the poor condition of the road.

Marshad Hafeel, Colombo -06

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Over to you Environment Minister, Colombo CMC

Garbage disposal should be done by any Municipality. Educating the public and disciplining them, by bringing in rules and regulations and introducing bins and other conveniences for easy disposal of garbage is the duty of any Municipality.

Paying a decent wage to people whom they have employed to collect garbage from house to house, without their asking for money from householders at the end of the month and also providing these workers with a uniform, gloves etc. are also part of their duties.

Open drains are not found everywhere. Maybe they are found only in South Asia, where Municipal Commissioners and other officials work with the CMC Commissioner's mentality. Good that he gets his orders from a Mayor who was a taxi driver.

These Government. officials should not be given tax free cars, neckties, air-conditioned offices etc., but should be given an "amude" and sent climbing coconut trees. I feel sorry for the woman who lost her life by falling into an open drain on a flooded street.

L. de Silva, Colombo

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Over to you Power, Environment Ministers and Jayawardenapura UC

The rapid deterioration of the basic services provided to the residents of Nawala by the Urban Council and other authorities is causing anxiety.

What is distressing is that despite the inconvenience caused to ratepayers; this seems to be of little concern to the authorities.

The nonchalant attitude of the Urban Council, Ceylon Electricity Board and road maintenance authorities has virtually driven the residents to a state of despair and frustration.

Electricity failures occur with monotonous regularity. The failures are often for prolonged periods from 5 minutes to 5 hours.

While the stoppage of electricity for maintenance work is appreciated, the stoppages are often beyond the notified periods.

Children's studies are interrupted. Sensitive electric and electronic equipment is damaged, household work and professional work is affected. Security is impaired as thefts occur during prolonged power failures.

Despite representations made to the authorities, the Electricity Company apparently remains unmoved. Even to report a failure to the "breakdown - unit" the number listed is never accessible. Is this the price we have to pay for privatisation. While the charges for electricity is escalating the service provided is deteriorating.

Road maintenance is afforded very low priority. Only the roads that lead to Parliament are of concern.

Roads are not levelled and dotted with huge pot-holes and covered with slime at certain spots. Apart from the damage and wear and tear to vehicles, it is a positive driving hazard.

In Koswatte all roads were given new name boards except Swarnadisi Place and its by roads. Nawala is also plagued by mosquitoes. Systematic spraying is not done despite the health authorities regularly warning of Malaria and Dengue.

The ratepayers find it difficult to understand the indifference of the authorities.Is it that Kotte is their main concern being the administrative capital while Nawala will continue to receive Cinderella it has always received?

Are not the ratepayers entitled to expect the basic facilities? And conveniences? Telephone calls and letters to the Urban Council and related authorities have been of little effect and nobody apparently cares.

Worshipful Mayor! It is timely to look into these aspects and also impress upon all officers that they should be receptive to the complaints of ratepayers and deal with them with courtesy.

Roshantha Fernando, Nawala

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Over to you Water Supply Minister, Kaduwela Pradeshiya Sabha, NWS & DB

I write to you from Bathalawatte Road, Thalahena, Malabe where the residents are faced with daily day time water cuts, this has been the norm for at least 8 months now, we loose our water service by 7 am and are forced to wait till at least 8.00 pm for service to resume, whilst I have installed an overhead tank, this area is mainly populated by people who can ill afford this luxury and are forced to endure the service of the Water Board.

I think it is the duty of the Water Board to provide residents with a reliable water service, after all we pay a hefty connection fee as well as the bills monthly on time (we even end up paying for air that enters the pipeline during the water cuts as this air then turns the meter at an alarming speed when the service resumes and we get billed for the air as well), is it wrong for us to expect a quality service in return.

MH Cassiere, Malabe.

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Well done Daily News

Its really wonderful to offer this special service to the public for them to resolve certain issues they got and are struggling to deal with. Its bit of a shake up to the bureaucracy as well.

Well done Daily News and keep up the good work.

S. Perera

If everything goes well according to this article Peoples Voices will help bring justice and fairness to the public who suffer in the hands of some public servants and politicos.

Well done Daily News, good opportunity for many grieving families to expose corruption and intimidation of those who abuse power.

Ranjith Chandrasekera