Letters to the Editor
View(s):Follow India’s example in the fight against corruption
The gist of the Hyderabad-datelined report is as follows: Senior Andhra Pradesh Municipality Official (Director of State Town Planning) was arrested and remanded in judicial custody, for amassing assets amounting to more than Rs 500 crore. He was to retire on Sept 28, but in advance he organised a grand party for his relatives and friends, at a resort abroad. He had even booked flights for them as well. However, fate had other plans and his dream came crashing down when he was arrested two days before the event by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) sleuths. They raided as many as 16 properties belonging to him spread across all over India.
This is a good example for Sri Lanka, where corrupt officials have built palatial houses, shopping complexes, eco-resorts and hotels with ill-gotten money. When are such arrests going to take place in Sri Lanka? Will it ever happen in Sri Lanka? This reminds us of a line from a popular song: “Indiyawe ehema unath, Lankawe ehema wenne ne.”
Sumith de Silva Kesbewa
Town planning puts residents in peril
We the residents of Dehiwala-Mt. Lavinia were shocked after having come to know of the UDA (Amendment) Act, No. 4 of 1982. It states the Urban Development Authority “may delegate to any officer of a local authority…any of its powers, duties and functions relating to planning… and such officer shall exercise, perform or discharge any such power, duty or function so delegated, under the direction, supervision and control of the Authority.”
This indicates that the UDA has shirked its responsibilities and enabled local councils to flout legal requirements, to the detriment of the people, especially the residents. This also negates the basic principles of town planning, which is to improve the quality of life without interfering with their health, convenience and amenities.
However, law abiding citizens believe that the present day town planning officials are allowing construction of high-rise building in highly residential areas, perhaps to impress the public, without giving thoughts to any future calamities — natural and man-made. By their action, they place residences in adjoining areas in peril.
Justifying the construction of these high-rise buildings of five floors and above, (as stipulated in the gazetted regulations of 1986) in residential areas, instead of locating them in specially designated areas, will amount to signing a death warrant on residents in adjoining areas.
An article on Green Buildings’ benefits, most probably published by the Ministry of Megapolis & Western Development, states that the benefits of green building can range from environmental to economic and social. Under the topic of environmental benefits, the article states, that the natural resources can be conserved along with the improvement of air and water qualities. Explaining the social benefits, it points out that the quality of life with health and comfort can be improved. These claims appear to be just hallucination rather than facts.
The ground reality is that clusters of high-rise buildings are being encouraged in prime residential areas, destroying their vegetation, depriving the residents of environment benefits, and denying cross ventilation and sunlight to the existing residential buildings as well as to the condominium residents.
Can this be construed as a healthy development and an intelligent way of people-centred town planning?
We were made to understand that the Colombo Municipal Council regulations were relaxed to develop the city as a commercial hub, in terms of a regulation gazetted in 1986 and no other council area was brought under it.
To our dismay, we found that regulations were being relaxed in other areas haphazardly, creating an illusion of splendid planning. By their uttermost indifference, the officials are placing peaceful residents on the path to calamity.
The need of this hour is to amend the development plan by professionals who maintain high standards. To save future generations and our beloved motherland from impending perils, they need to undo the damage inflicted on society due to the implementation of unethical development plans.
Residents Via email
Right Royal mess at school gate; authorities pass the buck
Excavation work began at the entrance to the Royal College junior school in March of this year, and eight months down the line, this work is still not complete.
A huge pit was dug just inside the junior school gate, blocking the entrance and causing much inconvenience to students and parents. There is also the danger of dengue, as stagnant water gets collected in it.
We, parents, have raised the matter with school authorities, including the principal, on many occasions. But they seem to know how to ‘pass-the-buck’ much better than Royal’s rugby team would pass the ball. On his Oval Office table, former US President Harry Truman famously had a plaque which said ‘the buck stops here’. Right now, Royal needs just one person with that quality of Truman, to stand up and ensure that the excavation work is completed without any further delay.
The inaction by school authorities comes in spite of money being collected on a regular basis from students for various reasons. In fact, so much money is being collected regularly that we parents can’t help wondering if it would be cheaper to send our children to international schools.
Sweeni de Silva Via email
Expedite appeal cases of convicted public officials
Recently two top public officials were convicted of the abuse of public funds and were sentenced to three year jail terms.
They did not spend any time in prison cells but were transferred to the Prison Hospital, from where they filed appeals and applications for bail. The court inquired from the prosecution if they had any objection to granting bail. The prosecuting lawyers observed that an appeal would take as long as three years and, therefore, they had no objection to granting bail. Thus the two convicts were granted bail. This is correct under law.
There is a whole host of cases of similar nature against politicians and high officials pending, after FCID inquiries. If any such accused were sentenced to jail, they can as well ask for bail pending appeals, on the precedence of this above mentioned case. In case of a change in government within this long pending period, they may be granted a presidential pardon.
This is not the expectation of law-abiding citizens of Sri Lanka. They wish that justice is meted out quickly and fairly. The only recourse to the law in the present situation is to take up appeals promptly and give the final verdict. The authorities should consider setting up special appeal courts to bring them to justice expeditiously.
A.G. Abeysinghe Gampaha
The disappearing begging bowl and its abuse
The only worldly possession that the Buddha had was the begging bowl, and he begged for his food in his father’s domain much to the latter’s embarrassment.
Together with the other requisites, the begging bowl formed the ‘Atapirikara’ or the eight worldly possessions which his disciples are expected to have.
Today in Sri Lanka, monks are rarely seen carrying the begging bowl even for an almsgiving; instead they sit at a higher place and eat from plates. It appears that the bowl will lose its significance and will be a thing of the past. The ‘Atapirikara’ will be a seven-item affair.
Money is something that monks are not expected to handle, because it incites desire or ‘Thanha’. Even after sermons on TV, we see monks accepting ‘envelopes’. Knowing that it is money, they cannot take them, according to the ‘Vinaya’ rules.
Dr. Chandima Weeraratne Ratmalana