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I was desirous of renewing my NIC 350220283V as it had withered away
along with my exterior with the affluxion of time. The details were also
obliterated. Moreover, I do not hold that much coveted staff rank any
more. It tended to be a misleading misnomer as I had bade Goodbye to
public service after forty four years which included a four year stint
beyond the compulsory age of retirement on Cabinet approval.
I had a lengthy surname which I had inherited and needed a coconut
matting (Polkola Pedura) in the colloquial jargon to scribe it. I am
eternally grateful to Shirley Amarasinghe Esq., the doyen of Civil
Service of yore for issuing Treasury Circular No. 394 of 18th August
1957 under the caption “Alteration of names” which rescued victims like
me and under which I sought refuge and changed my name and started using
it with effect from 30th March 1959. This circular categorically lays
down inter alia “No amendment of the birth registration entry be made at
all.” Thus it is manifest that yours truly has used the present name for
well over half a century.
I submitted the renewal application of my NIC to the local Divisional
Secretariat. This particular Treasury Circular was not available
therein. Why oh why? The Honourable Minister of Public Administration
and his Secretary please take note. Isn’t it an administrative lacuna?
Would you please make amends even at this much belated stage ! I managed
to obtain a copy of the same from the foundation house itself and
submitted it along with a duly certified translation into Sinhala and
was able to convince the officialdom at the Matara Divisional
Secretariat. The Divisional Secretary Thusitha P Wanigasinghe Esq., was
kind enough to intervene and handed over the certified documents under
sealed cover for production to the Commissioner for Registration of
Persons in Colombo. An outstanding trait of a mandarin of the day for
which I am grateful.
A nephew of mine having realized my rather hapless predicament
volunteered to offer me a lift to Colombo and back. A generous gesture
indeed. I presented myself before the Commissioner for Registrations of
Persons, Jagath P Wijeweera Esq., whose name I picked from the name
board.
The affable benevolent bureaucrat viewed my humble presentation full
of empathy and sympathy and ordered the issuance of the renewal of my
NIC immediately and I did my duty by paying the stipulated amount
pronto. Within about one hour approximately I walked out of the premises
with the perfected document with feelings of eternal gratitude having
enthroned and enshrined him in my heart and soul. I hasten to offer my
tribute in sincere humility in the public domain to this compassionate
august personality to whom I owe a deep debt of gratitude. If only
others of his ilk follow suit this mundane world would certainly be a
better place to live especially for commoners like us who are not manor
born and not sufficiently equipped with political clout.
With the renewed NIC I walked into the Divisional Secretariat, Matara,
to obtain my Senior Citizen’s Card. Within a matter of fifteen minutes I
received the duly completed and signed document. I had a grievance on
the same subject in my former locality of abode and I laid bare the
irony in the public domain through the bold and Forthright Island
Newspaper of 25th December 2007. What a contrast?
My own humble perception is that things are made much easier for the
hoi polloi under the directions of Lalith Weeratunge Esq., the ebullient
Secretary to His Excellency who exhorts public servants to perform their
duties with commitment, dedication and enthusiasm emulating the war
heroes who sacrificed their life and limb against all odds and ends
during times of turmoil.
I have come across such persuasive verbal inducements adinfinitum
umpteen times in the print media by the exemplary executive public
servant. Need I over emphasize that the exuberant Secretary to His
Excellency deserves kudos from the appreciative and grateful citizenry?
Nanda Nanayakkara Matara
In the year 2004 when I was a resident in the area I wrote to the
Press regarding the poor condition of the Nagasena-Rahanwatte bus road.
Thereafter I left the area and lost track of the situation.
However, I had to return to the area once again, and as a daily user
of the road I am in a better position to write about the poor condition
of the road still.
The road from Nagasena up to Talankande Church has been done up
somewhat and beyond, up to Rahanwatte the road is indeed very bad with
full of pot holes and craters all along the road, which is bad for
pregnant women and heart patients.
There is only one CTB bus operating on this road and fortunately
there are several private buses plying on the same road and the
commuters are indeed thankful to the owners of these private buses, for
operating on this road in spite of the terrible condition of the road.
The CTB bus is conspicuous by its absence on many occasions.
It is withdrawn from service for the slightest reason. For example
for the past week or so it is off the road for the reason that the
regular driver is on leave and nobody else is prepared to drive on this
road.
One other point I wish to stress is that the last bus from Eildon
Hall to Talawakelle is at around 5 pm.
Private buses do not undertake trips to Talawakelle after 4.30 pm as
there are hardly any load for the return trip.
However, whether there is load or not, the CTB bus (when it is
available) returns to Rahanwatte in the evening for the night part and
for the early morning run the next day and this is one of the few
‘blessings’.
If these shortcomings could be put right, the commuters would say a
big Thank You to the authorities concerned as well as the Private bus
owners.
David Williams – Kotagala
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed satisfaction with
the 2011 budget and expects GDP likely to grow by around 7 1/2 percent
this year while adding that there was substantial progress towards
fiscal and external sustainability in Sri Lanka.
An IMF mission led by IMF Mission Chief for Sri Lanka Brian Aitken
who visited Colombo between December 1-10 to conduct discussions for the
Fifth Review of the $2.5 billion Stand-By Arrangement, approved on July
24, 2009, said that monthly budget results to date are encouraging and
suggest that the 2010 deficit target of 8 percent of GDP is within
reach.
“Overall economic conditions remain strong, with GDP likely to grow
by around 7 1/2 percent this year. Inflation has risen, but this appears
to be driven mostly by food prices, and credit growth is picking up as
expected, suggesting that the current monetary policy stance remains
appropriate.
The trade deficit is widening, as imports recover from their sharp
decline in 2009, but remittance inflows continue at a high rate and
reserves remain at comfortable levels. We continue to believe that the
exchange rate should retain the flexibility to ensure that the economy
remains competitive,” the IMF said.
The IMF also notes that the 2011 budget, approved by Parliament,
targets further deficit reduction along with substantial reforms to the
tax system and the investment promotion regime, in line with the
authorities’ policy commitments.
The new approach to investment promotion, if fully implemented,
involves a shift away from tax concessions as the principal tool for
attracting investment as well as an increase in transparency. No doubt
further progress on these and other fronts will be needed to ensure an
acceleration of growth and a transformation of the economy, but the
reforms announced in the budget are welcome steps, the IMF said.
“While challenges remain, the authorities have made substantial
progress toward fiscal and external sustainability.
The IMF team has now returned to Washington to consult with IMF
management and will monitor developments with the aim of holding an
Executive Board meeting on the Fifth Review.”
(NewsNow.lk)
Easwaran Christian Rutnam
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