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With effect from 07.10.08 the water billing system has been amended
and careful studying of the charging system will show the discrepancies
and the unfair system adopted. The rates are as follows:
No. of units Rate per unit
From To Rs.
1 10 1.25
11 15 2.50
16 20 8.50
21 30 30.00
31 40 60.00
41 50 70.00
Over 51 75.00
Fixed charge - Rs. 50.00
Vat - 15%
Vat for the units consumed - 15%
Upto 30 units charging rate is reasonable. However, the discrepancies
start from 31 units. A household using 31 units of water is charged at
Rs. 60 from slab 16 onwards. The same applies to all households using
above 30 units. Eg. A household using 31 units will be billed Rs.
1,190.25. The breakdown of which is as follows:
Units 1-10 @ 1.25 per unit 12.50
Units 11-15 @ 2.50 per unit 12.50
Unites 16-31 @ 60 per unit 960.00
Sub total 985.00
Vat @ 15% on the above 147.75
Fixed Charge 50.00
Vat on the fixed charge 7.50
Final total 1,190.25
From the above it is clear that the householder has to pay at Rs. 60
from unit 16 exceeding 1 unit above 30 units. This I think is very
unfair. If the water consumption is calculated in a reasonable method
the calculations would be as follows:
Units 1-10 @ 1.25 per unit 12.50
Units 11-15 @ 2.50 per unit 12.50
Units 16-20 @ 8.50 per unit 42.50
Units 21-30 @ 30.00 per unit 300.00
Unit 31 @ 60 per unit 60.00
Subtotal 427.50
Vat @ 15% on the above 64.12
Fixed charge 50.00
Vat on the fixed charge @ 15% 7.50
Final total 549.12
Due to this unique way of calculating the water charges, in the above
case, the householder has to pay an extra Rs. 641.13 (1190.25-549.12).
In other words, the householders who use more than 30 units are
penalised.
This is very unfair and I feel that an injustice is being done to the
householders. This is an appeal to the Minister concerned to review this
situation and give a fair deal to the householders at a time we are
struggling to make ends meet with the ever rising Cost of Living.
Anslem Weerasinghe - Colombo 5
It is unfortunate to see Dr. D. P. Atukorale (English daily, December
10) losing his way by implying that the Muslim community has produced
the greatest number of terrorists. What has terrorism got to do when
discussing about vegetarianism? It appears he has run out of ideas and
the accusation is a bit childish.
However, it will be a disservice not to respond to many issues he had
raised.
DPA questioned Islam, "Which religion has produced the greatest
number of terrorists in the world in the last ten years." The answer is
simple - None. No religion has told their adherents to kill others.
Tigers are mostly Hindus and DPA wouldn't call them Hindu terrorists
because they have Hindu names.
We do not call the British Colonists (they invaded more than half the
world) as Christian terrorists. A famous British actor once said,
"Terrorism is the war of the poor and war is the terrorism of the rich."
Terrorism does not have a religion. Labelling a religion as supporting
terrorism just because a person has a Muslim or Buddhist or Christian
name is childish.
DPA has pulled yet another misconception. He claims that Vegetarian
lived longer than non-vegetarian. People's health depends not only on
what they eat but also depends on their lifestyle and their family
hereditary.
I know a very young person who had a history of high cholesterol and
we know that his parents and grandparents had a history of that
condition too. Taking a limited narrow study of a control group and then
project them on the world population is asinine way to determine that
vegetarians live longer than non-vegetarians.
The world is too complex with different eating habits, climates,
available food resources, terrain, etc. to generalize. Scare-mongering
and tainting guilt on readers have always been DPA's preferred method of
getting his narrow ideology across.
DPA has challenged us to prove that civilization would have perished
if not for meat eating. Here is one good example - Eskimos live
exclusively on meat and fish. If not for meat, there wouldn't be any
Eskimos left.
Thankfully, the majority of the world population eats meat and fish.
If they have taken the 'frog-in-the well' advice of DPA seriously, the
world would have perished within one or two generation through
malnourishment and hunger.
DPA says that during the reign of the King Devanampitiyatissa, the
Sri Lankans were vegetarians for 30 years. He says that those who got
caught consuming beef (fish and poultry included, I suppose) were
demoted to the lowest caste in Sri Lanka by the Sinhala Kings.
However, Buddhism did not have that extreme dogma. We find the
following words in the book titled 'Path to deliverance' by Nayanatiloka
Maha Thera (1878-1957), published by the Buddhist Publication Society,
Kandy, page: 63. 'The fact, on the other hand, that even the Buddha
himself has sometimes eaten meat, is proved by many passages in the
Canon (e.g. A.V. 44; VIII.12 etc.,). It is further reported in the
Vinaya that the Buddha has categorically rejected Devadatta's proposal
to forbid meat-eating to the monks.
And that, normally, monks were allowed to eat meat, may be already
inferred from the Vinaya-rule which forbids ten kinds of meat, - but for
merely external reasons - such as that of a tiger, a snake, an elephant
etc'. It appears that DPA is trying to do one better than Buddha
himself.
And this tops them all - DPA says that like humans, elephants have
canine teeth called tusks and they are vegetarians. First, comparing
elephant's tusks to human canine teeth reminds me of a desperate person
who has run out of fresh ideas to contribute. I will let the readers
judge to what extreme DPA will resort to get his narrow ideology across.
Tuan Riza Rassool - USA
The city of Colombo must be one of the few places in the world where
modern and hygienically maintained public toilets are not available for
the use of the thousands who trek to and live in this city.
Of course, the Colombo Municipality will argue that there are public
toilets of the CMC but it could be easily seen that these toilets are
ancient, ill kept, unhygienic and the average persons shuns using these.
So where do they go when the public wish to ease themselves?
Colombo is a fairly green city with many trees and parapet walls and
many are the instances when we see men urinating against them much to
the embarrassment of persons going past - specially women and children.
Furthermore, Sri Lanka is being promoted as an excellent tourist
destination. But where do the tourists too go when they want to ease
themselves when touring Colombo city? Your guess is good as mine.
It could be argued that setting-up modern and well maintained public
toilets is costly and subsequent maintenance costs are high. However, if
Colombo is to move away from a primitive system - bold decision will
have to be taken by the relevant authorities.
Since toilets are connected to hygiene and capital outlay is high -
it is proposed that the authorities call for funding from the World
Health Organisation or similar community related donors to set-up modern
and hygienic toilets initially in Colombo and suburbs.
Thereafter, the maintenance of these toilets could be handed over by
tender to the private sector in order to maintain the toilets to
hygienic standards. We have seen persons from many cleaning and
janitorial services organisations cleaning public roads and streets
effectively and successfully. Perhaps such organizations may bid for
providing public toilet maintenance services for a fee which could be
charged from the users.
Such a project will no doubt contribute to uplift the health
standards in the city and suburbs where urinating and defecating under
trees and other areas will not occur and will raise the image of the
country as a health conscious nation.
This project could thereafter be taken to the remaining cities around
the country which would be a boon to the public and result in higher
standards of hygiene among the people.
I hope this letter catches the eye of the Government, Health, Tourism
and Local Government authorities.
Lakshman Bandara - Colombo 3
Reference the news item appeared in Daily News page 2 of December 26
with regard to the announcement made by Minister Anura Priyadharshana
Yapa to put a stop to imports of natural rubber, it is a step in the
right direction to assist the sharp decline in the rubber prices. I am
sure all rubber growers will welcome this idea as this will help to
safeguard the rubber growing industry.
In the same manner, steps should be taken to introduce a temporary
ban on imports of various forms of edible oil to safeguard the coconut
growing industry. The steps taken so far to impose a higher duty of 28
per cent or Rs. 40 per kg (whichever is higher) has not shown a positive
response since there is an excessive quantity of edible oil locally
among the traders and in storage.
On behalf of the coconut growing industry, I would please appeal to
the authorities concerned to give the matter serious and immediate
consideration.
J. V. R. Dias - Wattala
Pension to all those who have left Sri Lanka for over three months
should be stopped until they return back to the country. Pensioners who
leave the country for longer periods are those having relations who
could afford to sponsor their stay overseas.
For those who have migrated overseas and receiving benefits from
their foster country should not be eligible for a portable pension. They
may be qualified upon their arrival back to Sri Lanka.
Ranjith Chandrasekera
On December 18, I visited the CEB office at the YMBA building to
settle a (current) bill as the original was misplaced. An employee who
was just twiddling his thumb at the cheque paying counter advised me
that he had no access to the account.
I was referred to one lady officer in the office area, which was only
a few feet away from him through a sliding door.
After doing a walk across the corridor and going through the
reception I approached this lady officer who appeared to be holding a
responsible position. When I made the same request to her, even her
reaction was of no difference. "We have no access to read the account."
It would not have taken two minutes for her to tap on to her computer
and helped me with the information I requested.
Out of sheer desperation I dialled, in her presence, from my mobile
phone, to the Chief Engineer's Office (Colombo East) from the number in
my file to seek help from someone as according to the staff at the
counter they were unable to help me.
To my embarrassment I found out that in fact I was in the Chief
Engineer's office itself and a person few yards away from me looking at
me and saying that I was phoning him. Only at that moment lady officer
concerned decided to reach her computer and managed to get me the magic
figure which she said she had no access to.
This goes to show the lackadaisical approach the public servants are
taking at present despite the President or Ministers' advice to
co-operate and help the public.
Subsequently I contacted the Controller in the office on the phone
and reported my experience, but one wonders whether there is any point
in doing so, when there is no discipline or enthusiasm on the part of
the public sector employees of this nature.
This is a matter for the Minister-in-charge of the Public
Administration or Power and Energy to make the public service a
friendlier and a helpful service rather than allowing the public
servants to make public offices leisure joints or libraries.
Dr. Tilak S Fernando - Colombo
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