Letters to the Editor
View(s):Time to change agrarian laws and policies to suit current times
As a Sri Lankan who lives abroad but frequently visits this country, I have wondered why we are not reaping the full benefits of lands near townships.
I understand that most of the abandoned lands close to towns and townships were paddy fields which are not economically viable now. However, due to the prevailing policies and agrarian laws, such land cannot be used for commercial purposes.
Over the last four decades, the landscape especially around major provincial towns such as Kandy and Kurunegala has changed due to urbanisation. This has led to former paddy fields and other farming land no longer being economically and practically viable for cultivation due to difficulties in retaining rain water, lack of irrigation and the challenges of attracting manpower as people prefer other occupations in urban areas.
Most of these lands are neither used for agricultural purposes nor commercial purposes, taking away their economic potential.
With the war ending almost 10 years ago, which has thankfully opened up vast farming lands in the northeast, especially in areas such as the ‘Rice Bowl’ in the Mannar district etc., and with rapid urbanisation around townships across the country, it is time to review outdated policies.
There is a need to implement forward-looking policies and change the current agrarian laws to permit the use of such land for commercial purposes.
Small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) form the backbone of the economy. A change in the prevailing laws will undoubtedly help SMEs to make use of such land, attract new investment and create employment opportunities.
Therefore, the Government think-tanks and policymakers should reassess agrarian laws and policies to suit current times.
Mahen Bulumulla Via email
Unnerving experience for Inter-City travellers to Kandy
Travellers on the Inter-City Express to Kandy were in for a rude shock when the train stalled at Balana last Sunday evening.
The 3.30 p.m. train normally takes three hours to Kandy from Colombo but in this case the journey took more than four hours. The engine had stalled at Balana and the lights in the compartments too failed.
Subsequently, a replacement engine arrived and towed the train. The lights were also rectified and ultimately the train reached Kandy at 7.45-8 p.m. It was a nerve-wracking experience and we were worried that the lights would fail when going through tunnels.
Traveller Via email
Smiling through all our troubles
We all live longer now. We have to pay off our debts. Earlier I used to be able to save for a rainy day but now my piggy bank suffers from malnutrition.
My wife and I have candle-lit dinners every night. It’s nothing to do with romance, it’s just our way of saving on electricity. We have to face up to the fact that a Rs.1,000 note is not going as far as it used to. But what it lacks in distance it makes up in speed! A decade ago that same note would have fed a family of five for quite some time.
The Government is doing everything possible to keep inflation at bay but it is spiralling out of control because of rogue traders and shrewd businessmen who have created artificial inflation.
The shortage of coins in circulation now is because people are hoarding loose coins to be able to tender the correct fare amount to bus conductors and shop keepers who otherwise are unable or reluctant to provide the change.
Yet with all the difficulties, it’s nice that Sri Lankans go about their day-to-day life still with a smile on their faces.
Kanagar Raveendiran Ratmalana
ITN should focus on fostering aspiring talent
Today, there is an abundance of television channels in Sri Lanka, some old and some new. Among them, the Independent Television Network (ITN) is the oldest, and has been called the ‘Mahagedera’ of Television. Each station vies for customer loyalty and is fiercely competitive in providing programmes that maximize and sustain viewer interest.
One area where snowballing interest is evinced is the ‘performing arts’. In developing the performing arts, TV stations could make prodigious contributions. They can be catalysts in identifying and harnessing talents.
They can, to a large extent, provide the much-desired platform for aspiring artistes to showcase their talents. In fact, some stations inclusive of the ‘Mahagedera’ in the past have been successful in identifying talent. Many who have benefited have admitted that they are indebted to the ‘Mahagedera’ (ITN) for grooming them.
The concept of the very popular programme on Friday evenings ‘Chat N Music’, for two hours until just past midnight is apparently to provide opportunities to gifted artistes, comparable to a talent exploration. This programme draws a huge viewer audience and has gone on uninterruptedfor over 12 years. But in the writer’s view the programme is now conducted with a biased selection criterion.
All viewers would agree that invitations are extended often at regular intervals to some established artistes, thereby depriving those talented aspirants, the much-needed opportunity and exposure.
In effect, it is just the recycling of existing talent who are already well established. One example is a singer who is invited at regular intervals and has sung the same song repeatedly. Many a talented aspirant is turned away under the current selection process. The fervent suggestion of the writer is to have an open formula in the invitation route, instead of the current invitation process. The authorities of ITN should intervene.
Sunil Thenabadu Via email