Letters to the Editor
View(s):Cockroaches as train companions!
While travelling on the “luxury” intercity rail from Mount Lavinia to Kankesanthurai, I noted a numbers of cockroaches crawling all over the compartment. At the food counter, I noted the same insects crawling all over the exposed buns and Chinese rolls for sale. I discreetly mentioned this to the vendor. His response was “ ou ou” and he carried on serving the customers. Two of us just had hot coffee at the canteen but even that resulted in severe stomach problems when we got back.
This train service is touted to be a luxury service to serve the tourist industry. Surely the railway personnel can take simple measures to make sure the service is hygienic at least. The compartments should be sanitized and food items kept in covered containers. This is not a costly issue and the service will be much better for local people and tourists.
The toilets were an entirely different matter and have been addressed by many.
Joe Bastian Mt. Lavinia
To receive a reply is a right of every citizen
Rohini de Silva in her letter on March 18, says she did not receive a response to her letters to the Minister of Megapolis, the President and the Prime Minister regarding developers contravening building regulations.
It is a citizen’s right to receive a reply. It is a matter of integrity. The longer you wait to do something you should do now, the greater the odds that you will never actually do it.
Dr Ranjit de Silva Via email
The stress of living next to temples
A very common occurrence in Sri Lanka is the use of loudspeakers to propagate Buddhism from the temples and other locations where Buddhist ceremonies are held.
Recently during the commemoration of a reputed financial establishment reaching a milestone, the residents in the vicinity had no rest or sleep during the entire night as the religious proceedings were broadcast via loudspeakers. It would have been quite adequate to use a single microphone as all interested parties were within the premises and not out on the roads.
Lord Buddha left his palace and lived a very simple life. The monks should also step out of their temples and propagate Buddhism by meeting the public as much as possible.
The use of loudspeakers should be banned. This will relieve the stress people living close to temples have to undergo.
J.C.S.D. de Alwis Colombo 3
Why is the Govt. not interested in retirees who can give much towards the country?
With reference to a recent article in the Sunday Times, there is no indication in the article regarding the age limit of the professionals who will be eligible to apply for consideration by the Government.
Due to similar calls by the present President and the present Prime Minister I gave up my lucrative job in Australia and returned to Sri Lanka over two years ago. My Sri Lankan friends who are professionals – over the age of 60 years laughed at my decision. On my return I applied for a post in the Ministry under the Prime Minister, giving details of what I can do to bring foreign exchange to Sri Lanka, as well as to improve the Railway Transport network and to bring down the ever increasing congestions on our road transport networks by luring the masses to make use of Railway Transport. My application has been going from pillar to post from the Prime Minister’s Office to the Ministry of Transport office for the past two years and I am yet to be called for an interview.
I feel that I should have been given an opportunity to explain my strategies in the interest of bringing foreign exchange to Sri Lanka, by opening Railway Companies by the foreign participants to make items for the export market and to sell to SLR same items at a cheaper rate that they require for their maintenance. Some of the professionals who are engaged in the Railway Industry overseas would have opted to join such new companies diminishing the brain drain and adding to the list of Brain – Gains.
Unofficially I came to know that since I am over 60 years, my file is gathering dust at the Prime Minister’s Office. I wish to bring this to the notice of other Sri Lankans not to get caught to this gimmick like a carrot dangling in front of them. Overseas Companies appreciate our capabilities and they make use of the Sri Lankan brains to make millions of dollars.
The Government if they are really keen on this venture must advertise the name of the person and his official address to forward the applications for considerations. Applicants who are over 60 years should not apply, unless the Govt is relaxing the age limit for the Brain – Gains. Then there will be an attraction to come back to Sri Lanka to build our nation. Once a month the Ministry in charge of these recruitments should give publicity in the newspapers for the transparency of this event.
Although my application has not been given any priority, I reliably understand there are Advisers/ Consultants who are over 60 years of age at the Prime Minister’s Office. It will be interesting to know how many dollars in foreign exchange they brought to Sri Lanka, after their highly valued appointments. Even to day if I am given an appointment in the Prime Minister’s Ministry as an Adviser, I can show how to bring foreign exchange dollars to Sri Lanka, as well as it will be my opportunity to popularise the Railway Transport, as I was the Chief Signal & Telecommunication Engineer of the SLR, prematurely retired to migrate to Australia.
Eng. Nimal Fernando Via email