Letters to the Editor
View(s):
Pensions Dept: A place to solve our woes or add to our woes?
The Pensions Department is notorious for harassing elders and treating them in a most abominable manner. Despite the watchword “Pride of a Nation” that features prominently on its website and on posters within the department, they are anything but respectful, compassionate and considerate towards elders.
Seniors are mostly feeble and infirm, helpless and lack the resources to present their woes and travails to the pensions officers and therefore are subjected to the worst kind of callousness and neglect. Retired teachers are the worst affected. They who have served the country diligently and faithfully, imparted knowledge, and most who have gone beyond the classroom teaching to instil wholesome values to the younger generation do not deserve such humiliation and suffering in the evening of their life.
To sort out a problem one has to go several times to the Maligawatte office – which in itself is a huge hassle and a costly exercise for a senior citizen. Nothing gets done during the first visit and elders are sent from pillar to post to wait for long hours and finally most give up even trying.
There has to be a code of good governance within the Pensions Department where the officers and clerks are at hand to take decisions and act fast so as not to inconvenience the elders. Often officers are not in command and the clerks rule the roost; these clerks are experts in the art of “ not getting things done” and frequently go on jaunts to attend funerals or other social functions during office hours and do not get back to office for the rest of the day. They are a law unto themselves and spend time seated round tables gossiping, discussing their family problems and even pets.
The wage increase that has been given during these past two months to public servants must obviously include the officers at the Pensions Department as well. Increase in wages must be accompanied by enhanced productivity. It is not a bonus or a santhosam to keep them happy. Therefore stern action has to be taken against shirkers and loiterers during office time.
Several attempts at reaching the Assistant Director who is in charge of Foreign Pensions to find out how my pension and arrears of pension had been calculated were of no avail. I requested a breakdown of the numbers as I think I have a right to know what became of the arrears due to me, but the secretive nature of the response makes me feel doubtful.
The Pensions Department comes under the Ministry of Public Administration and the newly appointed Minister should see that these officers in the Pensions Department are not allowed to harass seniors in the numerous ways they often do to cause frustration and pain of mind so that they eventually give it up as a lost battle.
Reporting a “Grievance” is a facility included in the website of the Ministry of Public Administration. I have submitted my grievance three times within a month as there is no action taken by the Pensions Department on my problem, and all I get is a stereotype reply “your grievance has been received and action will be taken”. I visited the officer handling the Pensions Division and personally handed in my letter stating the problems I have been encountering these many months. I apprised her of the Grievance (three in number with relevant details) and included these numbers in my letter. The officer who I presumed is a Director was rather surprised to hear about the Grievance Handling System on their own website. Hence I inferred that this GHS is also an eyewash and has no meaning whatsoever.
Time is running out for elders and what good is a pension if it is not paid quickly and with the least delay. The lady who took my letter was at first reluctant to do so but seeing my insistence took it and said that she would call for observations from the Pensions Department but added emphatically that “it would take time”. Why should it be so? She and the others in the loop must act fast on such matters. Nothing has been done so far. I could write reams about the workings of these two places but what good would it do?
The Pensions Department needs a full overhaul – and may I suggest that the Minister transfers all the lazy, inefficient officers and clerks out from there and replaces them with people who are willing to work and work fast and efficiently.
S.P.Warusawithana
Via email
Trains come late to Jaffna after timetable revision
After the end of the war in 2009, the Railways Department resumed train services to Jaffna in October last year. Later the service was extended to Kankesanthurai.The people were happy. But they are now complaining about the revised train schedule. As a result of this revision in April, trains from Colombo to Jaffna are 90 minutes late.
The newly named Uththara Devi is scheduled to reach Jaffna at 6.15 p.m., but it reaches only at 8 p.m., while the Night Mail train reaches Jaffna at 7.30 a.m., inconveniencing employees, school teachers, private sector workers, army personnel and students.
We appeal to the authorities to revise this timetable and start the Night Mail train at 7.15 p.m. from Colombo.
S. Kirubaran
Jaffna
The new Govt. should turn its focus on agriculture
The new Government of President Maithripala Sirisena has fulfilled a number of its election promises. Reducing the prices of fuel and cooking gas and giving salary increases to public servants are some of them. As part of the new Government’s policy to eliminate wasteful expenditure, an order placed for a special presidential plane on the lines of US “Airforce 1” was revoked.
However, an important area also deserves the Government’s attention: The economy, especially the agriculture sector. Let us not forget that Sri Lanka is still an agricultural economy. Although steps have been taken to reintroduce duty concessions to our exports, agriculture practices and the transport of fruits and vegetables are unsatisfactory.
When the price of one variety of vegetables goes up, then most farmers start growing that variety. As a result, there is a glut in the market and prices hit rock bottom. The poor farmer ends up in debt. To overcome this problem, the establishment of better storage facilities is suggested.
In Sri Lanka, there is an acute shortage of field officers to give advice to farmers on what to grow and when. It is now known that there is a chronic kidney disease of unknown origin, especially in the North-Central province. Although the cause of this disease is not known for certain, the overuse or the misuse of pesticides and fertilisers is a likely cause. With good technical advice to the farmers at the grassroots level, I believe the disease could be controlled.
It is also known that a large amount of vegetables perish during transport, because they are put in gunny bags that are placed one on top of another. This problem could be solved if vegetables are transported in plastic crates. Most farmers will not be able to afford plastic crates. As a long-term solution, it is even worthwhile for the Government to supply plastic crates to the farmers free of charge.
If the agricultural sector is well looked after by the Government giving technical advice, the long term benefits to the farmers would be worth more than a subsidy.
Dr. V.P.H. Rajapakse
Kandy
The ballot of….
Heirs and the tortoise
Legendary litigation amid liquidation,
Post-obit or postponement
Endgames reach dead-ends!
-Irene de Silva
Come, come sir, how low can you stoop?
Vasudeva Nanayakara belongs to the camp of gentlemen politicians. He is a die-hard communist and the voice of the suppressed and the oppressed. This is the opinion Sir I have had of you until recently.
Your sudden volte-face in politics has taken me by surprise. To my regret you have stooped so low as to call the Prime Minister of this country ‘oi’ and ‘mad’ and some other unprintable words. Though the Speaker did not directly censure you, he gave you a gentle hint that schoolchildren were in the gallery.
‘Oi’ is offensive slang. Some readers may not be aware that the word ‘oi’ is neither Sinhala nor Tamil but an English word used to attract someone’s attention in a rough or angry way. Your outburst against the Prime Minister has earned the disgust of many decent, civilised citizens of this country, but the Prime Minister himself has taken it lightly and described it as a symptom of the true democracy prevailing now.
Sir, now you have absolved yourself saying that you retorted because you were provoked and now that your anger has subsided you regret what you had said but you are not going to apologise to the Prime Minister.
Sir now my question to you is: what about the MPs who gave a thunderous applause to your rude remarks to the Prime Minister? Perhaps they thought their applause could have made them more patriotic. Definitely not so. They have been exposed for who they truly are.
M. A. Kaleel
Kalmunai
Media should be more responsible when tackling full face helmet issue
The media carries a great responsibility when reporting certain incidents. It is the responsibility of all media organisations to leave no room for misinterpretation. A few days ago I came across several news articles that reported on several robberies at Gelioya in Peradeniya where the suspects had used full face helmets. However later CCTV video footage had showed that full face helmets were not used as claimed.
Basic ethics in journalism require the use of proper facts when reporting. Journalists should also use the correct terms, in this case the type of helmet used. An open face helmet with a visor installed does not become a “full face helmet” or in Sinhala “Sampurnayen Muhuna Awaranaya wu hiswasum”. It should be “Open face helmet with tinted visor” and in Sinhala “Muhuna awaranayak sasitha samanya hiswasum”. I accept that there is an issue when translating the phrase to Sinhala but responsible persons must make an effort to leave no room for misinterpretation.
In view of public safety, knowledgeable people in Sri Lanka understand that the main issue and risk to public security during a robbery is not the type of helmet the robber wore, but clearly the type and number of weapons that were used during the robbery. While this unnecessary focus on the helmet has only made people talk about helmets, it has effectively diverted attention away from the main issue of the country, which is the circulation and availability of illegal weapons and ammunition. In a much more dangerous perspective, the ability of persons to use weapons with accuracy indicates a deeper problem. These robberies are clearly just the tip of the iceberg.
From a motorist’s point of view knowledgeable people have pointed out that full face helmets give 69% more protection than open-face helmets. The lack of response from authorities who are responsible for explaining why people should wear full face helmets has only resulted in people moving away from the use of full face helmets.
It is the responsibility of the media to come together and educate the people on this issue.
Chirantha R. Anthony Amerasinghe
Moratuwa