OPA at your service
Questions and Answers
Non-indication of occupation in NIC
Question: I very much thank you for your page in the Daily
News paper under OPA at your Service which is very much helpful to the
readers to overcome their problems, which they find it difficult to get
sorted out.
I thank you for taking action and helping me to amend my National
Identify Card with my profession, mentioned therein.
I kindly refer your attention to the Questions and Answers of
11.09.2008. Where my question appeared.
If not for your involvement in this matter I would not have been able
to amend my I.D. Therefore I very much appreciate your service.
I wanted to find the OFFENDER because for my matter there was no one
to answer. I was not given any reply from any authority to whom I wrote
this matter.
Anyway my matter is over. My profession has been entered in my ID and
now I am holding the amended ID.
- Somasiri P Liyanage, Galle
Answer: Our service is to help the Daily News readers who
write to us for help. We must admit that it is not always that we are
able to achieve success with some Department. The Commissioner of the
Department of Persons has always been very helpful whenever we contacted
him. There is no point in finding the offender as this is definitely a
case of someone omitting your occupation by oversight rather than a
deliberate action. Very often applicants for NIC do not fill the column
on occupation we understand. Therefore, is it possible that the officers
checking it or signing it too would not have enquired, let us be happy
that your job is done.
Disagreement on rent for houses
Question: I am a retired Government servant senior citizen, 77
years of age. I gave 1 1/2 acres of my land within the MC limit of Galle
to foreign contractors M/s Kumagai Gumi Co; on a lease for a very
nominal amount for a period of only four years. The conditions laid out
were, for them to construct houses (for their consultant staff, to live
in) at their expense, and to hand over the houses and premises to me at
the end of the four year period, i.e. by June 2007.
However, at the end of the four years they made a request to me to
give them the houses for three more years for which they will pay me a
rent. They have offered me as very low rental. The rent offered being Rs.
3,500, Rs. 4,500 and Rs. 6,000 per month for 2008, 2009 and 2010
respectively. Each house is about 2000 sq ft.. As the rent offered was
absurdly low, I requested them to vacate the premises as per our
original lease agreement.
I had several discussion with them where they wanted me to quote a
total rental for a three year period, taking into consideration the work
they are engaged in for our Government. I requested them to pay me Rs.
5.0 million for the period of three years. They told me that they will
have to consult their headoffices the figure was too high.
Then I got a valuation from a very recognized, qualified valuer and
sent a copy of same to Kumagai Co; The valuers figure works out to Rs.
6.0 million for three years. However, I agreed to accept Rs. 5.0 million
as I have already quoted that amount.
Then they agreed to pay me an "On account" payment of Rs. 2.5 million
and settle me in due course.
After paying me the Rs. 2.5 million they continue to occupy the
houses and premises without paying me the balance and entering into a
lease agreement in spite of my reminders.
They are expecting me to take legal action which will take a very
long time, by which time, they would have gone back.
I want to know whether the Road Development Authority who have got
these contractors, who are trying to take the law into their hands, be
directed to settle this issue in a fair and reasonable manner rather
than occupy my houses and land forcible. They could pay me and enter
into a lease agreement or else vacate the premises as already agreed.
Please advise me very early as I am a retired pensioner of 77 years
of age, with all my children living in Australia and nobody else to look
after me and my wife.
- C. W. Gunawardena, Galle
Answer: As you have not indicated the number of houses
involved, we are unable to comment on the reasonability either the rent
claimed by you or the rent (Rs. 2.5 million) paid by them. We wonder
whether the person who valued the rental for your houses or you yourself
took into consideration the cost of building all these houses. It
appears to be very unlikely that in four years. Your tenant would have
covered their cost of building these houses. Given the fact that each
house is about 2000 sq.ft. and the cost of building in 2003.
We trust you are being reasonable, having got these houses
constructed at their expenses. Having considered all these facts, if you
still feel Rs. 2.5 million for 3 years is inadequate you have no choice
about to send them a letter of demand through a lawyer, if further
direct negotiations are not fruitful. The Road Development Authority is
not a party to this transaction/agreement between you and your tenant.
As such and being a Government department, the Road Development
Authority will not get involved in this matter.
Electricity consumption of a refrigerator
Question: What is the electrical consumption (watts) of an
ordinary common refrigerator?
If a refrigerator is kept switched off for one month, will it cause
any harm to it?
- Dr. B. G. Punchihewa Ratmalana
Answer: Electricity consumption of a refrigerator will depend
mainly on the size of the refrigerator and also depending on the age and
condition of the refrigerator 2 cu.ft refrigerator (smallest) will
consume about 90 watts whilst standard size home refrigerator which is
about 6 cu.ft. will consumer about 120 watts. You can switch off the
refrigerator for one month or even as much as 06 months to a year but
nothing will happen unless it is quire an old refrigerator where a gas
leak is possible. Unless there is a gas leak nothing will happen if you
switch off. Suggest you leave the door slightly open to avoid any smell
when you open and also for air to circulate so that the rubber beadings
don't melt at our ambient temperature.
**************
[Send your questions]
"The Organisation of Professional Associations of Sri Lanka (OPA)
will cover questions in all professions and subjects of common interest
to the public in the Daily News OPA At Your Service page every Thursday.
Please make your question brief. Questions can be directed to the OPA on
e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected], [email protected] Fax:
2559770 or write to the Professional Centre, 275/75, Prof. Stanley
Wijesundera Mawatha,
off Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7."
**************
|