Minister Maithripala Sirisena means well for at least he has
estimated the cost of import of agricultural produce for consumption.
If one can go back time successive Governments made passing reference
to the problem of self-sufficiency and we have been moving further away
from the problem. The main reason for this people responsible for
planning failed to account for what Sri Lanka received as aid and we
failed to come up with and aggressive policy.
The resarchers were more interested in speculative research which had
little bearing on the needs of the farmers. If one looks around, most of
the crop varieties promoted by the Department of Agriculture were
developed about half a century ago which are commonly referred to as MI
varieties.
The last time I was there, the agricultural land allocated for
research purposes were carved out for housing and that was more than 20
years ago. I had a one time colleague of mine worked at the Survey
Department and he was involved with a team working on the mapping of
ground water resources in Sri Lanka.
This was important considering the Dry Zone was exclusively dependent
on rain fed irrigation. With better water management practices,
agricultural production can be increased significantly. What mechanism
has been put in place to achieve this objective?
Mr. Sirisena ought to get his experts to work out as to how
fertiliser is allocated - tea, rubber, coconut and paddy. Marginal land
should be taken out of paddy farming for anything less than 50 bushels
per acre per season ought to be declared uneconomic. Promote the
cultivation of traditional crops through incentives.
Before making any policy decisions, it is important to make an
inventory of land resources, current production and then objectives. To
serve the colonial empire, good agricultural land was alienated to
produce tea, rubber and it is time some of these land are put back to
arable farming.
ZAMA
The winner is always the answer; The loser is always part of the
problem. The winner always has a programme; The loser always has an
excuse. The winner says, “Let me do it for you”. The loser says: “That
is not my job”. The winner sees an answer for every problem; The loser
sees a problem for every answer.
The winner says, “It may be difficult but it is possible”; The loser
says, “It may be possible but it is too difficult”. When a winner makes
a mistake, he says, “I was wrong”; When a loser makes a mistake, he
says, “It wasn’t my fault”.
A winner makes commitments; A loser makes promises. Winners have
dreams; Losers have schemes. Winners say, “I must do something”; Losers
say, “Something must be done”.
Winners are a part of the team; Losers are apart from the team.
Winners see the gain; Losers see the pain. Winners see possibilities;
Losers see problems. Winners believe in win/win; Losers believe for them
to win someone has to lose. Winners see the potential; Losers see the
past.
Winners are like a thermostat; Losers are like thermometers. Winners
choose what they say; Losers say what they choose.
Winners use hard arguments but soft words; Losers use soft arguments
but hard words. Winners stand firm on values but compromise on petty
things; losers stand firm on petty things but compromise on values.
Winners follow the philosophy of empathy: “Don’t do to others what
you would not want them to do to you”; Losers follow the philosophy, “Do
it to others before they do it to you” Winners make it happen; losers
let it happen.
TISSA JAYAWEERA
I recollect the recent international hue and cry over the World Bank
chief’s girlfriend receiving perks she was not entitled to. He was
ultimately forced to stand down from the World Bank.
Recently, there were a number of letters in the Press on local World
Bank Chief, who has left Sri Lanka, having his girl friend, later his
wife, being nominated as an expatriate consultant for UN aids. She
replaced a local consultant who was competent and paid much less than
the so called expatriate consultant.
These experiences do not occur suddenly. They happen all the time.
Any long-term staff members’, short-term consultants’ or short-term
professionals’ C.V. must be studied carefully. Have they, the
qualifications and expertise? Are they really needed? Are local experts
not capable of carrying out these tasks?
During the post tsunami period, Sri Lanka was inundated with the so
called experts. In fact, one young consultant informed a Head of Mission
that he had come to learn, but at what cost! The UNDP, its allied
Agencies and the World Bank were guilty.
Do we know how much was spent on administrative costs, including
salaries? There were instances of consultants over-staying their period,
as well as entering into this country before visas were approved.
How much was actually spent on short-term and long-term
rehabilitation measures? The Department of External Resources, the UN
section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Local Ministry must
insist on transparency and monitor the cost and technical inputs.
There are also instances of Heads of Departments, whose relative run
NGOs, which are generously funded by the respective UN Agency, for
favours received. “You scratch my back; I scratch yours!”
Certainly both local and international NGOs must be monitored for
their work and impact. Their financial inputs should also be
periodically revived. You also have an international mafia, where Heads
of Missions have their spouses working in other international agencies.
Spouses of diplomatic personnel also work in UN and UN allied
agencies for substantial salaries. Fortunately, I was reliably informed
that Asian Heads of Mission are not guilty of this. Even though our
countries have got independence, the global network keeps our developing
countries economically subservient.
An Independent Sovereign State has all the right in the world to
maintain checks and balances. These are more important issues to
address, than to allow key UN personnel to visit Sri Lanka and then
blast them as ‘terrorists!”
‘SHERLOCK HOLMES’
This is a serious problem. Numerous users are greatly inconvenienced
in coming to and going from Colombo. The economy of the country suffers
from the enormous wastage of fuel and productive time. There is an
onerous burden on the security personnel who have to check the congested
traffic?
Why are two bridges which are built across the Kelani River not
opened to the traffic?
There is a bridge which would connect Mattakkuliya and Vystwyke Road
to Hendala, Uswatakeiyawa Road. The Colombo end approach roads are not
made, although the bridge was completed many years ago.
The approach now goes through narrow winding Hendala Ferry Road
crowded with rows of small buildings. The road surface is in a
deplorable condition. It is not lack of funds. Is it that a few Sri
Lankans have decided to hold their fellow countrymen to ransom and will
not vacate their premises?
Is it that bureaucracy is squabbling over the trace of the approach
road, aggravated by meddling parties in local politics? Is there no
public spirited Statesman who can solve this problem? The one who does
solve it, should have his statue erected by the approach road.
There is another bridge across the Kelani River near the Kelani
Rajamaha Vihara premises. The bridge is named Kelanisiri bridge started
13 years ago and completed a few years back.
It is a two lane smaller bridge good enough for light vehicles. Two
bus routes start from the Colombo end. Buses go to Borella and Pettah.
Pedestrians have to walk across the bridge to get to these buses.
Could our energetic Ministers of Roadways and Transport visit these
bridges and take action to make them public thoroughfares and not let
the money spent on them be wasted? Perhaps our President well-known for
his prompt action can carry this through.
DOMINIC L. J. SENEVIRATNE
Colombo
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