Letters to the Editor
View(s):Budget proposals favour only government servants
A Budget is meant for the whole country; for all the citizens. But our budget proposals are only beneficial for Government servants while sidelining the rest of the citizens. In an earlier Budget, the salaries of Government servants was increased by Rs 10,000. Did the Government servants appreciate this and vote for the Government thereafter? On the contrary because of the bias shown, others felt a sense of disgust.
Parents should treat all their children alike. Similarly a Government should treat all its citizens equally. There should be no favouritism or discrimination. Increasing salaries is NOT the answer because it does not help everybody.
Remove the taxes on everyday utility items like mobile phones and bring down the cost of living which will be benenficial to everyone.
We need leaders who will think out of the box- who will come up with innovative ideas to deliver the goods.
M.N. de Silva Moratuwa
Hats off to honest conductor and driver
On October 8, having to travel to Ahungalle I boarded a bus from the Fort bus stand to Galle. The private bus No. NC 5983 left Fort at 11.30 a.m. On the way I made some calls from my mobile phone. We reached Galle around 2 p.m. and it was only after alighting from the bus that I realised I didn’t have my phone with me.
It was a brand new expensive phone! I felt it might have fallen on the seat during the journey and I desperately tried to call the number from a landline but even though it rang, there was no response. After a while I gave up and resigned myself to the fact that I had lost my phone-
About two hours later, I tried again and this time, the conductor, Roshan Udaya Kumara answered and when I explained what had happened he assured me they would return the phone when they came back to Colombo the next day. He told me he and the driver Nishantha Fonseka had been relaxing in the bus when they heard it ringing.
The next day, they went out of their way to give me several calls to arrange to meet at the Fort bus stand. When they handed me the phone, I wanted to give them a small token of appreciation but they politely declined.
I feel I have a responsibility to highlight the actions of such honest and upright young men. People of their calibre should be rewarded and emulated especially in an era when some ruthless conductors even try to cheat passengers out of their change.
Suren Fernando Colombo 8