Protecting State property

The plea made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to employees of State institutions to protect State property in their custody it is hoped would be heeded by all.

Today it has to be admitted that employees of State institutions take Government property for granted and fail to exercise care and responsibility in their protection. Even some of our high ranking State officials are guilty of this.

State vehicles are being used in a roughshod manner causing damage to them. The number of such damaged vehicles in Government vehicle pools is a clear indication of the callous disregard shown towards Government property. Invariably it is the public who picks up the tab.

Walk into any SLCTB depot or Railway yard and one could witness the army of derelict buses lying overgrown with weeds or train bogeys that are huddled in corners wanting repair and maintenance. Some of these assets are deliberately cannibalised by workers for profit.

Pilfering of Government property is rampant in State institutions with even the top management involved. No wonder that our public sector institutions have been considered as a milch cow by the public.

It is not only the employees who are guilty but even the public too don’t seem to care about State property. This is amply seen if one enters a public toilet. The sordid mess that are most Government hospitals is also another pointer to this attitude.

Perhaps the free health service provided to the public have given them the license to act freely as they want. There appears to be a laid back attitude where State property is concerned across the board. The whole issue boils down to civic consciousness. Our public have not been conditioned to respect Government property which has come to be taken for granted. We have not cultivated a sense of ownership of what is ours.

It is hoped that the President’s call to respect and protect State property would elicit the correct response all around. It is not only with regard to state property but even the attitude to one’s duty leaves left much to be desired.

Today many public servants lack a work ethic and shirk their duties. Government offices are for the most part empty and employees are seen huddled in conversation at nooks and corners. There is an overall a sense of drift, lethargy and a laid back attitude that has permeated State institutions. Wage demands are made although there is little work being done.

It is time that the Government carry out a periodic evaluation of work performances of employees in all Government institutions. Wage hikes should based on such evaluations. There is a need for a shake up of the State sector to ensure all sections pull their weight. In this modern age there has to be optimum output from every single individual. There can be no room for shirkers.

Mumbai fallout

The resignation tendered by a Union Minister and several others in the Indian Government in the aftermath of the Mumbai mayhem is indeed a welcome trend that needs to be emulated in all democracies. India’s Home Affairs Minister Shivraj Patil and Defence Adviser M.K. Narayanan offered to resign professing moral responsibility for the tragedy although the latter’s resignation was not accepted.

This is not the first time that Government Ministers in India stepped down after suffering bouts of conscience. But will mere resignations alone suffice. We feel that accountably too should follow. It is all too easy to give up one’s portfolio and wash one’s hands of all that had happened. But should the authorities let the matter end there.

An angry public expects follow up action to ascertain if there was wilful negligence on their part and other lapses in duty. If found guilty they should be made to pay for these lapses or at best exposed.

Politicians are placed in a position of trust and they are duty bound to uphold this trust. Walking away from it all alone would not absolve them of any wrong doing. This is but an easy option and divests one from responsibility.

Here in Sri Lanka we rarely see politicians and officials stepping down. Governments since the advent of the PR system have been hamstrung against disciplining their members due to political imperatives. MPs are showered with portfolios and attendant perks and privileges. Ministers and MPs must achieve good performances, be accountable and accept credit and blame in equal measure.

Such acts of humility while gaining the respect of the public would also serve to erase the negative image of politicians.