We observe that there is a shortage of coins in circulation when we
go to transact business at shops and boutiques in our daily
transactions.
Every time we buy provisions, vegetables or any other item from our
shops and tender a note to the shop keeper we are asked to pocket out Rs.
five, four, three, two or one rupee coins to complete our transaction.
We feel annoyed or embarrased at times when we do not have the exact
change as demanded by the shop keeper.
I think this must be the same situation in the outstations too. I
think some millions of Coins must be held up in Tills in houses, issued
by the various banks to children.
The Tills in Temples, Churches, Kovils, Devalas and other religious
places too must be holding back these much needed coins for circulation.
To cite an example, a till given to a daughter of mine by a Bank had
Rs. 1,075 in Rs. 5 coins when opened by the Bank.
Some device should be operated by the Banks to get back their tills
at short intervals, so that the coins will not be held in the Tills for
a longer time as now.
For example, the Tills can be smaller in size. Religious places too
could be asked to follow suite.
Lionel Lekamwasam Leanage Ambalangoda
It is a common sight to have beautiful flower arrangements on the
lecterns at the podiums of most of the functions.
However, it is irritating to see often the flower arrangement is
placed in such a way one cannot see the lecturer at all.
Even the TV cameras take the pictures from the sides so that often
the lecturers speak to the camera which is not from the front.
We see this even at highly intellectual meetings. Sometimes the
arrangement is placed so high even the tallest lecturer cannot be seen.
We even see lecturers peeping around the flower arrangements to be
seen.
A lecturer’s speech is not complete without the facial expression and
the body language being seen. It is absurd that many organisers of
functions seem to neglect this important aspect.
The flower arrangement is merely a decoration - it should enhance the
program not hinder it.
Ideally it should be at the table not at the lectern for it distracts
the audience.
If at all it can be pinned to the lectern far below the upper edge so
that it does not hide the lecturer or it must be a very flat
arrangement.
Dr. Mareena Thaha Reffai Dehiwela
The accused party of the stubborn poor uneducated villagers’ fence
boundary disputes often refuses to attend the call of the Conciliation
Board as advised by the Gramasevaka or the Police, which as to end up
finally in the Courts with unbearable expenses and time.
These disputes very often end up with stubborn quarrels resulting in
stabbing and death.
There is no law to prevent growing plants such as Mango, Alastonia
Magosa, Domba etc. among live or dry fence sticks to grow up in width as
big trees thus altering the line of the fence boundary as time goes by
very often creating the cause of boundary disputes.
May the local or Central Government authorities take suitable action
to pass rules preventing the growing of big trees on the line of the
live or dry-stick fence boundaries and prevent unnecessary disputes and
unbearable litigation expenses among the poor to prevail normal village
harmony as parapet walls are not within their means.
Y. Amerasena de Silva Ahungalla
The coconut growing industry is the leading agricultural crop in the
Wayamba and Western Provinces. It had spread to Southern, Eastern,
Sabaragamuwa and therefore plays a major role with 700,000 growers and
population of approx three Million People.
The current declining farm gate price to about Rs. 14 had created a
severe blow.
As a result, the growers will not have any profits to maintain the
land and they will be only harvesting the nuts to generate as income for
their living.
The cost of inorganic fertiliser had gone upto Rs. 90,000 per Metre
Ton and as a result, it is very much beyond the affordable price. Whilst
the use of organic fertiliser is being promoted due to difficulties on
application of same and other practical difficulties, there are problems
on implementation.
May I therefore, please request the authorities concerned to look
into this matter and take suitable steps to achieve a reasonable farm
gate price and a scheme to make available inorganic fertiliser at an
affordable price.
J. V. R. Dias Wattala
When old, used furniture (genuine ones) are transported by a citizen,
the respective Divisional Secretariat is imposing a fee to issue that
authorised permit to ok the transportation.
This issue is necessitated for two reasons. viz. to ascertain whether
they are one’s legal goods as old, used furniture or whether they are
newly manufactured ones at illicit felling of timber dens in forests,
because timber felling is illegal without a proper permit and secondly
for present day security grounds. Both facts can be accepted as the
order of the day, is open widely for misdeeds. But one cannot think
rightly why the authorities levy a fee for this permit.
This is not a chargeable service rendered by Divisional Secretariats
as that of issuing IDs, gun licenses, BRs etc. To add insult to injury,
there is no specific form for transportation of used, old furniture but
it is filled on the same form used for transport of timber. That itself
shows that this issue of permit, has no provision for a vote.
Will a day come to impose a tax or a fee manly when a citizen of this
country wants to go from place to place, changing his or her residence,
similarly as of the colonial times. Minister of Public Administration
please take note of this issue.
Kasturiarachchi Warnakulasuriya Piliyandala
I appreciate what the Transport Minister is doing for the betterment
of the Government transport services such as the Railway and CTB.
I have noticed how many trains and buses are introduced to the system
to uplift the service levels.
Around 3,000 employees travel by a train during office hours. So,
delaying a train by half and hour wastes 1500 man hours to the country.
If all the trains are going to delay by half and hour, one can think
of the waste of man hours to the country.
The impact is directly going to the Government sector or private
sector reducing the productivity which in tern impact on the Sri Lankan
economy.
I think there is no reason for a train to delay. All the roads will
be closed to allow trains to go.
Then why these trains are getting delayed? Has anyone questioned from
the relevant staff in the Railway, why these trains are delaying?
If it is caused by one or two persons, it is good to pay them the
salary and force them to stay at home.
Then it will save lot of man hours losing everyday to the country.
Travellers somehow managed the increase of the Railway fare, but they
should get that at least through the quality service by operating trains
without delays.
Therefore I request the Transport Minister to take necessary actions
against those responsible Railway staff members whoever they are.
Otherwise your effort in improving the transport service will be in
vain on the long run.
Yasantha Warawita
Reference news item ‘Drama Poses New Questions on Richard’s Death’ in
the Daily News of 3/12/08 which evoked in me such a feeling of sadness
that his brutal, senseless murder has to-date gone un-avenged.
This is unfinished business. I did not know that the four policemen
charged with his murder had been acquitted in November 2005 on the
grounds of insufficient evidence.
Wasn’t his severely tortured and murdered body sufficient evidence?
That the trial took 15 years is a travesty of justice and a blemish on
our society. I am writing this to implore the present Government to
re-open the case, convict the murderers and have some sort of decent
closure on a disgusting criminal act.
Richard was a very decent human being with a strong sense of right
and wrong and the amazing ability to courageously speak and write about
social wrongs. When this right to freedom of expression is forcibly
removed, what do we have left? A dysfunctional society? A sense of us
being pariahs and cowards, too frightened to speak out.
Gentle Sri Lanka became a Gestapo state during the JVP insurgency.
Many innocent youths were brutally murdered, not because there was
any proof of their JVP connections, but to enjoy a high body count and
to create a fear psychosis, even worse than the JVP atrocities. Once
again, I implore the present Government and in particular President
Mahinda Rajapaksa to re-open this case and ensure justice is meted out
to the murderers.
Linda Van Schagen Mt. Lavinia
It was stated over 25 people have been killed and over a dozen
rendered blind for life due to drinking ‘kasippu’. This tantamount to
deliberate murder and can be equated to a LTTE bomb.
This tragedy could have been averted if the Government heeded some
communications that appeared in the English media by some readers who
have suggested the legalising of the illicit brews about two years ago.
I would like to reiterate what I had to mention in one of my earlier
writings.
It is time that the State - President, Minister of Finance and Excise
Department seriously give thought to take immediate action to first ban
all illegal distilleries. The Excise Dept. and the Police must
immediately jointly raid all Kasippu dens and take all concerned to
custody. The culprits must be meted out the severe punishment.
They must thereafter come out with a criterion to issue licence to
some selected people and lay down specific standards for cheaper alcohol
but not call it ‘kasippu’ - instead think of a better palatable name.
These distilleries should be inspected at least once every month by the
‘Flying Squad’ of the Excise Dept. by raiding them unnoticed.
If they are found to be contravening laid down criterion even a
little bit, they must be severely warned in writing. If they are caught
the second time their licence should be immediately cancelled and their
distillery shut down.
Any state official caught taking bribes in order to cover up the
wrong doing of this mudalalis, such officials should be brought to book
and if found guilty be meted out with strong punishment according to the
law of the land.
Poor people, specially labourers and others who sweat their blood out
doing various manual jobs do need some kind of a relaxation after a hard
day’s work. They are used to taking alcohol to get over the day’s
tiredness and physical strain.
Since they cannot afford high priced liquor - even the normal arrack
(gal), they go in search of cheaper stuff and fall prey to these
unscrupulous kasippu mudalalis. It is no secret that kasippu is
distilled under the most unhygienic and unhealthy conditions not
suitable even for animals, leave alone human beings.
Hence, it is the opportune time that the State should step down hard
on these errant miscreants and formulate a licence scheme and a specific
standard laid down.
This should be done in a very selective manner and overlooked and
closely supervised regularly.
I condole with the families of those unfortunate victims of this
‘killer hooch’.
Ranjith C. Dissanayake Battaramulla
On October 27 I was driving along Galle Road opposite Sampath Bank,
at 5.45 am. This section of the Galle Road is partially carpetted,
leaving one layer of asphalt slightly over the other. The result is a
rough edge on the middle of the road that is a potential danger to the
pedestrians.
As I was approaching this area, a woman was crossing the road wearing
slippers. She was watching the oncoming traffic to her left and her
slipper’s front got caught in the protrusion and she fell flat on the
middle of the road. Fortunately at this time there were no oncoming
vehicles and she lives to tell the harrowing tale.
If this could happen to an adult, what about numerous schoolchildren
who cross this section daily?
In any case it will be a worthwhile exercise for the HR bosses of the
factories in the vicinity to educate their staff of this potential death
trap.
During our school days we were told to look to our left, then to our
right, again to our left and quickly cross the road. But now there seems
to be a fourth step as, see where you have to walk and walk carefully.
It is sad that road accidents are adding to the statistics of vehicle
accidents which are already alarming.
RNF Moratuwa
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