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As they are getting a heavy beating in the Wanni battlefront the LTTE
terrorists' evil activities to plant bombs all over the country
particularly targeting the public transport are on the rise these days.
Their intention is quite clear which is to create maximum damage to
life and property and disrupt normal life in the country.
In most of these bomb blasts the explosives have been kept inside
bags or parcels on the racks of crowded train compartments and buses.
Although passengers are now more vigilant still these terrorist elements
have succeeded in carrying out these barbaric acts.
What is suggested here is for the authorities to enforce rules to
remove all these racks inside the trains and buses with immediate effect
to minimise these attacks.
If we look at a neighbouring country Singapore no trains/buses have
racks and even trains which provide service to Airport passengers do not
have storage facilities where they have to keep their heavy luggage
close to them.
Therefore it is high time to initiate the above action because we all
know that 'prevention is better than cure'!
Upul Jasenthuliyana,
Colombo
After reading this article, it is high time the Government holds the
P.H.I.S accountable. I wish to recollect an incident which I encountered
a few years ago while visiting Sri Lanka.
I went to the market in Matara, there I found some beef hanging in a
butchers shop, and heart of a cow on the bench. The heart was completely
emaciated so were the kidneys and when I asked the butcher, to show me
the carcas which belongs to this organ, I was shocked. Half of the meat
was already sold, what was left I noticed was the carcas from a fevered
animal.
Then my question was, has the PHI passed this animal for human
consumption? His answer was yes. With a fevered animal, fat around the
heart and kidneys does not set and it is gelatinous, fevered animal show
very dark red in colour. My question to the authorities is how did the
PHI pass this animal for human consumption?
Is there corruption involved? Perhaps free (good) meat to the PHI?
This really got me wondering, I am writing this because I have worked in
this field for the Federal Government in Australia, I hope those who
could afford to eat a little meat of any species would get an acceptable
product, which is suitable for human consumption.
LAL FERNANDO
A leading newspaper (not the Daily News) published a few days ago
that a vice principal of a leading girls school of Kandy was found
drugged and unconscious in a hotel room.
She had applied for half day's leave and gone with a man to a hotel.
(I wonder whether she had extra classes?) The hotel employees had found
her lying unconscious and informed the Kandy police. The man who
accompanied her is supposed to have left her and the lady had been
hospitalised at the General Hospital, Kandy.
Kandy town though been declared a sacred city is one of the pioneer
cities which has the most number of ill-famed guest houses, where the
oldest profession thrives openly since there is no restrictions, as the
law of this land is not strictly enforced. (I don't know why?) The open
secret is that rooms are even given for half an hour, as the weekends is
where there is a booming business because many young couples who go to
the tutories finally end up with extra classes at these ill famed guest
houses.
I request the Kandy Police to raid and take stern action against the
owners of these houses of ill fame. The vice principal who was found
unconscious should be questioned and if found guilty be prosecuted under
a Court of law, as discipline should be instilled.
A person of her calibre who holds great responsibility if allowed to
go scott free, the day will soon dawn when we would come to know that a
vice principal of a leading girls school and a student of a leading boys
school had been found in a hotel room with both taking half day's leave?
I conclude by mentioning that the footsteps of the vice-principal
should not be followed by her students or else it will be like the blind
leading the blind?
LI KUANG SHU,
Kandy
Being in this Ward for a few days I observed the remarkable change of
attitudes of staff in care towards the patients.
The tiled floor is swept and mopped thrice a day. Toilets are flushed
and kept clean. The nurses attend to their duties from early morning,
checking temperature, blood sugar, writing down the information for the
doctors.
The House Officer goes round the ward talking to the patients.
The consultant at least devotes five minutes on a patient discussing
with the doctors. Patients due for x rays and other examinations were
promptly sent. I was sent for a C.T. scan which would have cost me a
tidy sum if in a private hospital. I hope if this scenario is prevalent
in all hospitals, free health care in Sri Lanka will be ranked among the
best in the world.
B.B. Perera,
Ratmalana
Readers of the Kandy D.S. Senanayake Public Library, bemoan the
negligence displayed by the authorities concerned in the operation of
the photocopying service that has been provided for the benefit of the
readers.
Tendancy is rampant for this service to break down often.
Complaints are often adduced to shortage of photocopying paper or the
absence of employees for the operation of the machine.
Would the authorities concerned, target a more positive approach in
the bestowment of this service on the reading public, without causing
discouragement to the readers?
J.B. GIRIHAGAMA,
Kumburegama
This information is publicised so that all rate payers in areas in
and outside Wellawatte, where conditions are similar, will become aware
of the true reason for the flooding. Most of the time, CMC engineers
blame the road flooding on the polythene scrap that the public throws
out on the streets. This is always not the full story.
A half truth is more difficult to unravel, than an untruth. This CMC
story must be verified by the rate payers. Using the example of the
occurrences which are given below, rate payers can by observation of
their own problem areas, determine the other causes of flooding which
must be remedied by the CMC engineers.
The clearing of the surface drains is sub contracted out by the CMC
to the road cleaning companies. When rate payers complain of flooding,
the CMC refers them to the companies.
These companies can keep the rain water flowing only if the water
ways constructed by the CMC are structurally functional. If they have
collapsed, then no amount of cleaning will take the rain water away.
That is what has happened in parts of Wellawatte for over 20 years.
The lanes on the land side of Galle Road have surface drains sloping
down towards Galle Road. The lanes on the sea side of Galle Road slope
down to the sea.
The water from the land side drains have to go under Galle Road
through tunnels and on to the drains on the sea side. On rainy days the
water collects on the land side drains of the lanes, as the tunnels are
blocked and the lanes become impassable for several hours.
This flooding can be seen at Arethusa Lane, Pereira Lane and several
other roads. The CMC engineers are aware of this problem for nearly 20
years. During this time they have tried patching up the problem.
Where there are sewage lines the CMC diverted the rain water flowing
in the surface drains into the sewage lines. (For new and old buildings,
this is prohibited by the CMC). During heavy rains, the sewage manholes
were pushed open by the pressure of the water inside and raw sewage
flowed on the road. This happens at the Hampden Lane/Canal Road
junction.
In certain places when there were complaints, CMC earlier used long
rods and more recently use the high pressure water jetting machine.
The jet of water clears some movable material, but not the debris of
broken bricks, cement and concrete inside the tunnels.
Recently the Galle Road collapsed in two places in Wellawatte.
When this happened, it was found that the soil underneath had been
washed away over many years. This wash away could be related to the
leakages over many years, in the collapsed under the ground tunnels.
As a trunk road used mostly by those who do not pay rates to the CMC,
the Road Development Authority should meet the cost of maintaining the
Galle Road.
This is the general principle for such roadways. Due to the RDA
avoiding this responsibility, the CMC carries out the repair work. The
money comes from the pockets of the Colombo City rate payers. The CMC
would show the RDA as owing the money to the CMC. The money most of the
time is hardly refunded. In the absence of publicity for the Auditor
General's detailed report, it is not known to rate payers how much and
for how long such money is due to CMC.
The dues are not shown in the CMC budget as it does not include a
balance sheet of operations. Due to this the CMC is understandably most
reluctant to incur expenditure on behalf of the RDA.
The repairs and restoration of the tunnels under the Galle Road will
cost several millions of rupees. Neither the RDA nor the CMC is
undertaking the work. The rate payers are seriously inconvenienced. A
vehicle on Galle Road may one day fall into a collapsed section with
loss of life and serious injury.
A reader of this may be an unfortunate one. I do not know whether a
case sponsored by the OPA or a panel of lawyers, will be entertained in
the Supreme Court to prevent such a disaster.
The Central Government must step in and provide funds for the RDA to
do the work. It is the responsibility of the CMC Mayor and Council to
submit a comprehensive programme of work to the Central Government and
lobby for its implementation. The prime responsibility is that of the
Council and the Mayor.
The attitude among some managements in the state sector - 'More work
more trouble, less work less trouble, no work no trouble' should be
abandoned, for the good of the country. I suppose there is enough local
expertise, initiative and patriotism in the country and engineers need
not be sent overseas for special training.
If not, international consultancies may be invited. Action is long
overdue. Doing the work in house by the RDA or CMC will delay the
completion by many years and cause massive traffic jams, contractors
overseas and local, with a good performance record, will complete a
quality (with honest supervision by the engineers) job, fast with least
inconvenience to the users of Galle Road.
It is in the interest of rate payers to wake up and arrange for
continuing publicity, instead of being put to sleep by the CMC stories.
D. Seneviratne,
Wellawatte
I refer to the news item published in the Daily News dated May 31
under the above caption.
It was mentioned in that news item that Singapore has tough laws on
public gatherings and therefore protests are rare.
In view of that news item it is very pathetic to see what is
happening in our country today. I presume Singapore has developed to
that extent on account of such tough laws, and it is high time that Sri
Lanka too should follow suit, if we are to develop this country.
If not we will be in a worse situation in time to come. What have we
achieved after 60 years of Independence?
D. E. ABEYWEERA,
Kelaniya
The Opposition is to oppose and if it is political to act
democratically. If a Government were to introduce a motion that will be
detrimental to the working class, the farmers, society or to the nation
at large, the Opposition has a duty to counter it and make it
unacceptable.
Similarly, if a Government increases the prices of consumer items,
especially without rhyme or reason, the Opposition should not only pick
holes against it but also propose how best the people could be given
concessions in facing such increases. It should not talk through its
hat.
No doubt, the poor and the middle class are undergoing a lot of
hardships under the current Cost of Living, apart from the high
electricity charges. Even sundry items like soap, toothpaste, brush,
blades, normal cosmetics etc. too are expensive.
It is a fact and nobody could deny it. The Opposition should voice
about it in a meaningful way that could be at length beneficial to the
suffering people. Perhaps this method of action and sincere support to
the Government in its development programmes that would benefit the
people may pave way for the Opposition to reign the country as desired
when a general election is held.
It should not attempt to fish in troubled waters. But sad to state
our Opposition Leader and his minions are going around the country,
specially to villages, talking about the non implementation of various
Commissions, Corruption in the State institutions and then the
Constitution, Amendments etc. which are irrelevant to the people at a
time when they are bearing the brunt, specially due to increasing fuel
prices in the world market.
What he alleges against this Government were in existence during the
periods the UNP was ruling this country. There were various instances
where the head of the Government could failed to take action against
some corrupt Ministers owing to their sincere rapport with him and solid
support from their influential colleagues.
Now, he goes round facing microphones arousing suspicion about the
Fort bomb and trying to prove as to who exploded it.
What is the purpose of it? The bomb was exploded, innocent lives were
lost and bringing anyone to book is not going to ease the grieving
families of the victims.
If 'Siri Kotha' could make arrangements to financially compensate the
families of bomb victims hereafter even, that will be a great
humanitarian act.
The police is there to investigate the blast.
Therefore, the politicians or the laymen need not worry about it
though the incident saddens the entire nation.
Oppose for a cause and repose, do not be on toes to fracture the jaws
of the Government simply because the Opposition is to oppose and create
woes in the country.
NAZLY CASSIM,
Colombo 13
There has been some interesting inventions made by the youth of Sri
Lanka as published in the newspapers. However the details of how to
contact them or how to obtain the products are not given in the papers.
Recently there was an article about a University student making
tables and chairs with a cardboard which could be useful for picnics and
outings in the papers. Then we had this news about some school boys who
invented how to water the potted plants continuously.
Often such news just are heard and forgotten. I am sure if the
contact details of the inventor is given someone may help them to
commercialise them or even buy from them in small quantity.
Many an idea are born and die for want of proper nurturing and
developing. What a pity!
Dr. Mareena Thaha Reffai,
Dehiwela
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