Ranatunga’s “yahapalana” recruitment drive
Recruitments to the public sector to any post, even a driver or a peon, goes through a process but for some ministers, ‘yahapalana’ means abusing the process. Either the ministers are unaware of the rules or due to sheer arrogance of their powers believe that handing out jobs is a prerogative they have earned. This came to light at a media briefing this week at the Ports Ministry where Minister Arjuna Ranatunga exposed the manner in which applications could be submitted to join the security division of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA).
Asked by a journalist whether the authorities have published an advertisement for the recruitment of individuals to the security division, the minister said there was no need for this. “No, there is no need to do that in these institutions. We have given ministers to also send in their nominees to submit applications and now have received about 25000 applications and we will select from that,” Minister Ranatunga said.
The minister’s comments in Sinhala, according to a taped recording, was as follows:
“Ne ehema avashyathavayak Ne ehema. Me ayathanawala ehema karanna kiyala avashyathavayak nehe. Api methi amethiwaruntath kihipadenekta deela thiyenawa apita evanna kiyala application, evagema me ayathanayata evala thiyenawa 25000 application – ewwa hoyala balala hari pudgalayo api danawa.”
The minister called the media to brief them on the recent events that had occurred at the Colombo port by the trade unions like sit-ins and allegedly blocking the Jaya Container Terminal, manufacturing furniture allegedly for personal use among other matters. But trade unionism at the Colombo port has taken interesting twists and turns as the ones today who are accusing the minister were at the start of the new regime hailed even the appointment of the minister’s brother Dhammika Ranatunga as SLPA Chairman.