Daily News Online
Ad Space Available HERE  

DateLine Monday, 23 March 2009

News Bar »

News: Rubella vaccination inquiry: Action against errant officials ...        Security: LTTE lose Iranapalai ...       Business: Creating bridges between marketing and financing ...        Sports: Roshan, Dilanjali worthy winners ...

Home

 | SHARE MARKET  | EXCHANGE RATE  | TRADING  | PICTURE GALLERY  | ARCHIVES | 

dailynews
 ONLINE


OTHER PUBLICATIONS


OTHER LINKS

Marriage Proposals
Classified
Government Gazette

How precious is water?

The prevalent dry weather conditions in most parts of the country, is an ideal time to realize the above, which is a vital commodity required for our survival.

The accumulation of same to be used when necessary should be a vital requirement that needs immediate attention.

Accordingly, all tanks should be restored to accommodate the maximum quantity of water during the two monsoons, cushioning the effects of droughts in the ensuing years, which undoubtedly retards development of the country.

Similar to prohibiting filling of paddy lands for other purpose, maintenance of dry tanks should also be prohibited. I say this, because agriculture without water would never succeed, which is quite evident at present. Let’s accustom ourselves to suit the needs of nature.


Registrar General Department’s happening

I went to the Registrar General Dept, Record Room, Maligawatte on January 13, 2009 to obtain a copy of my marriage certificate and handed over a request letter.

Although their records indicate that the copy I requested has been posted to me on January 15, 2009, I have still not received it to my address at Hunupitiya.

The other two branches of the above Department at Thimbirigayaya and Vajira Road accept applications every mornings and evenings and issue the copies within one hour.

At the Maligawatte branch they accept the application only on Wednesday mornings. The fact that they are equipped with facilities to provide the copies direct to the applicants the same day or the following day and still insisting on them posting the copies to the relevant addresses drew my suspicion - that they are expecting ‘something’. The Tamil speaking Officer on duty that day was harsh to me.

If the applicants requesting copies do not know the Registered numbers of the certificates despite presenting the correct date, the officer refuses to accept the applications.

A number of people are present there amidst much pain and expenses to seek the services of the above department. But it is pathetic that most of them return empty-handed.

Some people ‘approach’ these officers in a different way successfully. As I realized this I complained this to the Young committed officer named Buddika Soysa who is the Additional District Registrar.

He immediately warned that particular officer and before that evening he ensured that I got the copy I requested without any additional stamp duty. Officers of Buddika Soysa’s calibre deserve great appreciation. It thank him wholeheartedly.

My humble request to the concerned authorities of this Department is to,

1. Make arrangements to operate these services on a daily basis,
2. To issue the copies on the same day of request,
3. To treat people with humility.


Robbing of pensioners

A feudal-relict who held the highest office in the country, ignorant of the prevailing contributory pension scheme, used a defamatory epithet Pinpadikarayo referring to pensioners. Some top bureaucrats subscribing to this concept threw sops to the powers that be, rather tempting to resist.

One such was saving of funds incurred on account of postage and other incidentials in posting Pension Receipts (PR) with exaggerated figures to impress the bosses. Naive among Pension Assos’ leadership were more than convinced that the PR obligatory from colonial times could be dispensed with, without much ado.

But this move when contested by a FR Application in the Supreme Court, the very Director of Pensions (DP) who was the creator of this rumpus, tamely gave an undertaking to S.C. to restore the PR by way of a settlement and saved his face.

By arbitrarily deducting Rs. 50 from February pension, without reflecting this abatement on the PR, the very legitimacy of this accounting statement, has been brought to naught.

Initial ‘Holiday Home’ for pensioners was built in Kelaniya by the previous Government at State expense but the proposed holiday home in Ramboda, out of funds forcibly collected from pensioners is an absurdity perpetrated on unsuspecting retirees, perhaps someone up the line trying to qualify for an after-retirement posting?

In these circumstances, is it unfair to launch a slogan Save the Pensioners from their Director?


Garbage problem

If it is costly and time-consuming to build an incinerator, I wonder whether garbage can be used to fire brick and tile kilns around Colombo. I have, sometime back seen a project run by NERD at Kunuwala Paara, Kirulapone, where garbage is sorted out, methane is generated and used to in turn generate a little bit of electricity.

If this method could be implemented on a large scale, employment can be generated at every stage of the process. The capital cost will be mainly for making concreted wells with lids.


Colour lights for road crossing at SLIIT, Malabe campus

Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), Malabe campus is situated by the side of Malabe-Kaduwela main road.

As the motor vehicles drive very fast the students have to face severe difficulties when crossing the roadway.

Several years ago similar situation was observed in the University of Colombo, where the students had to cross the Thurstan Road and the Reid Avenue unsafely.

The authorities took the steps to install colour light system only after a death of a student while crossing the Reid Avenue. Similar incident happened at Kelaniya university also.

In cases like these, university student behaviour which is linked with young age also has to be taken into consideration. The environment of the university premises and soundings are to be safer, road crossings are to be protected.

Installation of a colour lights system at the road crossing is a best solution, the authorities have to proceed.


Maradana Railway station an eyesore

Transport Minister Dullas Alahapperuma seems to be doing an excellent job of work in his Ministry and I am very happy for him. Anyhow there is one place that he should pay a sudden visit to, which I feel is an eyesore, right at the center of Colombo.

This is the Maradana Railway station, a very poorly kept place indeed. The floors of the platforms are so dirty, I think they were never scrubbed and washed in their lifetime. There is not a single bench or chair, on the platform that is not broken and they are so dirty, that it’s a real eyesore.

At the entrance lobby, the timetables are hung so high up and the lettering small that one should be a seven footer to be able to read them. Mr. Minister, it would do well for you yourself to do a sudden spot check on this place. I do not know whether other stations too are like this.

L. S.


Punish violent university students

It is very sad to see that the Kelaniya university has been closed down for nearly one month due to the violence and irresponsible behaviour of the students of the university.

Since the authorities couldn’t control the violent students, the acting Vice Chancellor had to close the university indefinitely.

University students who are misguided by anti-social and unpatriotic political activists have damaged the properties of the university.

These unbecoming students have attacked police personnel and 14 students are reported to have been arrested for questioning. Ultimate result of this agitations and violent behaviour of students has paved the way for the studious students to lose the opportunity of studying.

However, all attempts made by the university authorities to settle the dispute have been unsuccessful as violent students’ representatives don’t agree to peaceful negotiations.

These students have mercilessly damaged public properly amounting to millions of rupees. They have destroyed the properties of innocent people of our country.

No one is benefitted by these acts of violence of students. Government funds mean the money of the common people of this country who gave the right to students to destroy public properties?

The Vice-Chancellor of Kelaniya university has informed parents to look after the children in a responsible manner as these students have already become delinquents. We admire the steps taken by the university authorities to close down the university since there was no any other alternative.

In order to maintain good discipline in Government universities, tough actions should be taken against criminal minded students who deprive other peaceful and innocent students of the opportunity of studying.

We have doubts that these delinquents will be of any service to Mother Sri Lanka after passing out of university. Please take early steps to expel these criminal cum students from university for the good of other students.

It is a well-known fact that the Sri Lankan government spends billions of rupees for university students annually and it is a bigger slice of our national income.

We should study the root cause of students’ unrest and remedy such lapses as soon as possible. The plight of innocent students has to be rectified by authorities at the earliest possible opportunity.


CFL bulbs

There has been a good response to my letter regarding the choice of CFL bulbs, but my question has still not been answered. Yes, I have used both foreign and locally manufactured bulbs. Most of them have lasted more than the guaranteed periods.

I Always believe in - good things no cheap, cheap things no good and my selection of these blubs too have been the same. I wish to know as to how we can ascertain whether we save 80 per cent of energy/ current when we use these quality CFL bulbs.


Saviour Khalil Man of the year

Pakistani Mehar Mohammed Khalil who was at the wheel of our cricketers’ bus is undoubtedly the ‘Man of the Year’. Though with fear of his own life, when heard the firing peal, he sped the vehicle for safety, by which the valuable lives - the assets, of Sri Lanka too were saved.

The genuine apologetic expressions from the Government of Pakistan, the Cricket Board, VIPs and of the Pakistanis to the Government and the people of Sri Lanka showed how much they were really hurt over that shameful and disastrous act.

Terrorists in any country are a very formidable lot with scant regard for the lives of human beings. They will be a great concern to the Government of the day, if they are not eradicated at the inception itself. But unfortunately, the root cause for terrorism to rise up is not looked into. Simultaneously, paid terrorists are also created by hostile countries.

Opportunists may blare why our team was sent to Pakistan despite a terrorist threat there. As already convinced by the Government and the SL Cricket Board, it was merely and purely in showing our gratitude for the support extended during a cricket crisis for us and to maintain the good rapport of both our countries.

A few others, sans realizing that they are living with the world’s worst terrorist outfit, accuse the host that adequate security had not been provided to the team. Positive or negative it may be, their sole intention is to create chaos in the country.

It seems to be ridiculous even having seen how many of our VIPs, including President Premadasa who had the best security and later the Ministry of defence, by that experience, provided an elite group of commandos to President Kumaratunga to whom too the terrorists approached and the consequent of it is well known.

It could not be forgotten how Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was attacked by the butt of a rifle by a naval rating, which was also a form of terrorism. Who anticipated that sudden attack and could the Government of the day be condemned for such an act of a security personnel? As in cricket, in terrorism too, ‘you miss, I hit’.

 

EMAIL |   PRINTABLE VIEW | FEEDBACK

Gamin Gamata - Presidential Community & Welfare Service
www.liyathabara.com
Ceylinco Banyan Villas
www.news.lk
www.defence.lk
Donate Now | defence.lk
www.apiwenuwenapi.co.uk
LANKAPUVATH - National News Agency of Sri Lanka
www.peaceinsrilanka.org
www.army.lk

| News | Editorial | Business | Features | Political | Security | Sport | World | Letters | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House Copyright © 2009 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.

Comments and suggestions to : Web Editor