21st January 2001

By Alia

Mounting crime a worry

The mounting rise in crime has be gun to worry the People's Alliance leadership, so much so, President Chandrika Bandara-naike Kuma-ratunga, is to personally intervene.

She is to address Chief Inspectors on the need for them to act immediately to reverse the disturbing trend.

She is learnt to have already conveyed her wish to talk to them to acting IGP T.E. Anandaraja.

The Police Chief is away in India on medical grounds.

Believe it or not

This may qualify for a place in Ripley's Believe It or Not.

A senior man in uniform, who called it quits recently, had 26 vehicles allocated for his personal use. Among them Mercedes Benzes, Land Rovers, Jeeps and even motor cycles.

He has now been allowed to retain five vehicles.

That too for a limited period.

'Secret' report

One of India's Police Chiefs, who is credited with quelling Sikh separatist agitation, K. P. S. Gill, has made available to the defence establishment a "secret" report on Tiger guerrilla threats and precautionary measures.

Mr. Gill, who now heads the New Delhi based Institute of Conflict Management, was in Colombo as head of an Assessment Group studying the vulnerability of strategic institutions and locations in the City.

His report, written in lucid English, has identified several important sectors and recommended remedial measures.

Dinner guests

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga on Friday night hosted retired Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Admiral Cecil Tissera, to dinner at Janadipathi Mandiraya.

Admiral Tissera was invited when he paid his farewell call. President Kumaratunga asked Admiral Tissera whether one of his predecessor's, Admiral Mohan Samarasekera, (now Chairman, Ports Authority) could also be invited. He readily agreed.

Admiral Samara-sekera, however, was an absentee. Apart from the three service commanders, two top rung persons connected with intelligence were guests.

Farewell

The top cop who was saying his farewells at a reception accorded to him by colleagues was angry.

"I am not a parachutist. I earned every promotion to come to the top," he declared in his speech charged with emotion. That was how a career that spanned over two decades ended.

Rajpal Abeynayake's Column

Editorial/ Opinion Contents