Action
not resignations and theories
A country to be embroiled in a power crisis in the 21st century
is not only unacceptable but also perfectly ridiculous. A totally
unheard of phenomenon in the rest of the world, the power crisis,
while retarding the country's growth substantially, has heaped untold
misery and burdens on the people.
Who is to blame
for this ludicrous situation? It is not only the PA government whose
total inaction led the country into this dilemma, but also the UNP
government before that.The latter for its failure to implement the
Mawella coal-fired project in 1991. The site was shifted to Norachcholai
in the Puttalam district, which has given rise to the present controversy
on the suitability of the place. And now we are told that the Norachcholai
project is to be shelved by the government, having spent over 400
million rupees, all public money.
The reason for
this sudden reversal is yet to be known by the public. The current
government has not only failed to offer a justifiable reason for
suspending the Norachcholai coal project, but also allowed the people
to believe that a Catholic bishop is holding the country to ransom
on the flimsy pretext of 'security' and 'environmental pollution'.
Obviously the citizens of this country have a right to know as to
why this particular site has suddenly become unsuitable when the
CEB claims otherwise.
The UNF government
on assuming power, appointed a National Energy Council, which is
seen to be more theorizing than being practical, while imposing
self-made deadlines to end the power crisis. But what have we today?
A soft-spoken minister who has promised to resign from his cabinet
portfolio if the crisis continues after June and a senior management
of the country's power generating body which prefers to watch helplessly
and pray to the rain gods!
What the country
needs is not the minister's resignation or a theorizing group of
energy experts, but an aggressive and practical long-term approach
to solving the power crisis once and for all. Those who are responsible
for the current catastrophe should also be made accountable for
their misdeeds.
It is difficult
to understand why the government which advocated transparency in
all transactions on pre-election platforms, should soft-peddle the
issue of accountability and fight shy of bringing to justice those
individuals who mismanaged this sector. It has indeed been the bane
of this country to allow public officers who perpetrate calamities
of unimaginable magnitude to go scot-free while the public grins
and bears the consequences of such unpardonable acts.
The CEB has
repeatedly warned that a similar power crisis will occur in 2004.
What measures has the government taken to effectively counter this
threat since coal-fired projects are long-term undertakings? Can
the government assure the public that power cuts will not be imposed
again?
Meanwhile, electricity
tariffs have been revised, making the public pay for the sins of
the CEB, while the CEB is losing 300 million rupees a month with
regard to the installation of electricity meters. Is this fair?
It is time that the government took a tougher stand and brought
to book all those public officers who were responsible for the current
disaster by their inaction and wrong decisions.
Geetha W. Bibile Kandana
Negative messages over and over again
Since we are using the electronic media to watch and listen to our
favourite programmes, we have to tolerate the advertisements that
are dished out. That is understandable. However, the manner in which
it is done is sometimes unacceptable to the public.
The people at
the helm of advertising firms may disagree, stating that what they
do now is based on 'extensive market research'. I leave it to the
readers to pass judgment on what I state below. After all, market
research is done to get the views of the general public, and they
are the people who read newspapers.
Nobody likes
to see people shouting in any place, be it the office, home, bus
etc. Some advertisers use this method to pass on their message.
In one advertisement on electric bulbs, the burly manager is seen
shouting at his assistants. In another on cement, a big made labourer
yells, that unlike the bags of other companies, this company's bags
are uniform in weight and, therefore, too heavy for him. Where praise
is due, there is blame, but that is not my point. Why compel the
TV viewers to watch such outbursts?
In a radio advertisement,
a person shouts that he is a germ capable of causing many diseases.
Then another shouts even louder, that he is capable of destroying
him. There are many other TV and radio advertisements like these.
This is a humble request not to have such awful advertisements.
The TV films and newsreels have enough and more of shoving, shooting
and shouting. Let the advertisers give something that is soothing
to the weary eyes of the viewers.
There are some
pleasing advertisements of high quality.There is one on a brand
of biscuits. The scene dates back to many centuries. Dozens of people
are seen walking in a desert single file wearing a special type
of headgear, with matching background music. But this advertisement
has been shown hundreds of times, and now, whenever I see it coming,
I quickly change the channel. Children relish ice cream, but ask
any child whether he likes it morning, noon and night every day?
Many advertisers seem to believe it is so. When the consumers are
irritated over the way a product is advertised, it has a negative
effect. When that happens, the advertiser pays to lose business.
What a pity?
I can also give
examples of objectionable advertisements. In one, a school principal
refers to his set of pupils as having been badly brought up (nohedichcha
lamayi). Why? Because they throw away the biscuit after eating only
the cream. I am not a psychiatrist, but I feel it would be harmful
to young minds when insults are hurled at them even in unreal situations.
I am surprised that parents allowed their children to appear in
this advertisement.
Another objectionable
advertisement is one where, for a half a second or so, a man is
seen stroking the bare bottom of a woman. No. The advertisement
is not about a balm or lotion, but tea!
There are many
more examples of unsuitable advertisements on TV and radio. In the
case of newspaper advertisements, if we do not like them we don't
read them and pass on. Obviously, that cannot be done with radio
and TV advertisements as very few people possess remote control
switches. Others have to grin and bear.
I trust those
in the advertising industry would not get offended with constructive
criticism, and come out with some adjustments on the matters raised.
Wijaya G.
Colombo
Rude
road mosters and pushing shoving people
I have returned from a seven-year stint abroad ( during which I
really learnt to appreciate this country !) and find that the total
lack of discipline in society is astounding.
Forget about
driving in the streets of Colombo. The best example I have to offer
is trying to turn into Tickell Road in Borella and being confronted
by three huge Ashok Leyland buses driving parallel to each other
from the opposite side. Obviously a traffic jam was on and queuing
was out of the question.
But even at
the Yala National Park, no one gives way to elephants anymore. I
personally witnessed a herd of elephants being cut off from water
for over three hours by jeep drivers whose only concern was to show
their passengers' elephants and try to earn a bigger tip.
I bought a new
car with my earnings and in the few months I have owned it I have
had every badge that could possibly be removed, stolen from it.
Scrapes and scratches caused by motorcyclists weaving in and out
of traffic etc, do not bear mention.
I attempted
to handle the registration and licensing by myself and after a few
attempts at taking on the RMV I simply had to hire one of the touts.
These touts who have made it impossible for a normal citizen to
get anything done in that establishment.
I see and read about fantastic 100- day plans and daring assurances
given by ministers about how they will put things right or depart
into political oblivion but I do not see any reference to attempts
to re-introduce discipline to society.
Millions are
spent on advertising by the more prosperous companies who do not
seem to give any heed to this crying need of society. Cannot we
have an advertising campaign that explains to the man on the street
that it is OK to stand in a queue? That pushing and shoving your
way to the front or standing so close to person in front of you
so that that person is either able to determine the size of your
genitals or is aware of what you had for the previous meal is not
acceptable?
Let me tell
you the most disconcerting part of all. My work took me to Jaffna
recently. I was very impressed at the way in which the Jaffna people
have survived. The level of discipline was fantastic! The buses
were spotlessly clean and did not belch smoke and pollute the air.
Even the trishaw drivers drove with discipline and did not weave
all over the place. I can understand how they survived so well and
I shudder at the thought of what the hordes from Colombo are going
to do to that pristine land when they have free access.
If we do not
address this situation, it will be impossible for people to live
in this country however akin to paradise it is.
R.A. Ratwatte
Rajagiriya
Give
a number for the property
When taxes
are paid to local bodies a receipt giving a number only is issued.
The name of the land for which the payment is made is not mentioned.
When questioned, the officials say they are unable to give the name
of the land because when the land was taxed originally by the Tax
Department only a number was given to the local body and not the
name of the property.
This is confusing,
because I have to summon, as plaintiff in a partition case, an officer
from the local body to say that I had paid taxes for the land involved
in the case. But that officer is in a position to give only the
number and thereby his evidence becomes useless. The poor litigant
after paying tax is unable to prove it to courts. This is a very
serious lapse on the part of the local body.
The lawyer for
the other side can argue that I have produced a receipt for another
property. I raised this question with the Local Government Commissioner
of the Southern Province on March 1, 2002 by registered letter but
he has still not replied.
Therefore, I
request the minister in-charge to go into this question and make
the necessary amendments to provide the tax number and the name
of the land on the receipt issued.
A.D. Jayaweera
Bentota
Stop the vicious cycle
Most of us (the silent majority) have many criticisms of the present
preferential voting system.
The system of
casting three votes for a single candidate and having to obtain
the highest number of votes to qualify for the selection for the
post of chairman are the main factors behind this unfortunate situation.
From nomination
day itself, battles erupts between rival parties and also among
the candidates of the same party. In this race, violence and election
malpractices are inevitable.
Candidates spend
lavishly. Some wonder how much they will get as an allowance once
they are elected.
When they grab
power, people's needs go to the bottom of the list, their personal
gains gaining priority. This happened in the past and there's no
guarantee it will not happen in the future too.
This vicious
circle has to be stopped. Over to you, Mr. Prime Minister.
J.B. Ellegedara
Balangoda
Foul
play at tea auctions
Some leading buyers are exploiting the outdated bylaws of the Colombo
Tea Traders' Association (CTTA) which govern the Colombo auctions,
to their advantage, at the expense of tea producers. By claiming
that the paper sacks do not conform to the specification stipulated
in the CTTA laws, the buyers charge a penalty of Rs. 400/- per sack.
They thus indirectly
reduce the purchase price by as much as Rs. 20/- per kg. of tea
(depending on the grade) which the producer has to pocket out.
The CTTA rules
specify the dimensions of a paper sack filled with tea. But practically,
at the time of packing these teas at the factories, the sizes of
the sacks tend to change fractionally.
Further, when
loading and unloading and during transport the bag sizes could alter
due to the movement of teas within the sack. These minor variations
of a few millimetres are used by some of the reputed tea buyers
to claim unreasonable penalties in order to make a quick profit.
Tea brokers
too do not stand by the producer but meekly endorse these claims,
to the buyer's advantage.
Let us hope
the attention of the new Minister of Plantation Industries, the
CTTA and the Chairman of the Planters' Association (PA) will be
drawn to this matter and that steps will be taken to protect the
tea producer from this unreasonable CTTA rule.
Aggrieved
Kotmale
Peace
or pieces on road to peace?
Listening to all the news about the A9 opening and the controversy
about the buses plying the route, a few friends and I decided to
visit Jaffna via the A9 during the Sinhala/Tamil New Year. I think
our experiences will shed some light on the whole confusion.
On arriving
in Vavuniya we inquired from the police and the army and they kept
saying that they did not know if we could go on the A9 or not -this
was on the 12th. So we decided to go to Mannar and Madhu instead.
When entering Madhu the police/army took our details and let us
proceed to the LTTE checkpoint via no-man's land. On chatting with
them they mentioned to us that before the ceasefire/MOU the LTTE
point was almost 1/2Km further away. Now they have moved forward
and are constructing a permanent checkpoint. On obtaining our "visas"
from the LTTE we proceeded to Madhu and got back just before the
checkpoint closed at 4:30pm (LTTE Time). While in Eelam there were
no checkpoints or presence of weapons but we were followed by the
intelligence wing cadres in a double cab (brand new) and there were
lots of LTTErs on brand-new 200CC motorbikes. The people of the
area were travelling in old converted vehicles under the Eelam licence
plate and running on kerosene.
In Mannar, we
visited the new LTTE office to inquire about visiting Jaffna and
they said that the road was open to Tamils but Sinhalese had to
fax the GA in Kilinochchi and get approval one or two nights before
travelling. So when we got back to Vavuniya we inquired from the
LTTE office again and they confirmed this.
So is that what
"open" means? The LTTE has free access to sensitive areas
like Vavuniya but Sinhalese civilians (let alone the army/police)
have no access to LTTE areas without a visa. We also visited Batticaloa
and although we had to sign on the way in at Manampitiya on the
way out we were not stopped (let alone checked) at all. Here again
we saw many LTTE members roaming around even in convoys with official
police bikes leading the way.
So I do not
understand how the MOU can be fair when the LTTE has access to all
of Sri Lanka (even to run buses to Colombo) and Sinhalese Sri Lankans
need to wait overnight for visas to drive through LTTE areas? Also
how is it that no one talks about the fact that Kilinochchi and
Mullaitivu areas of the Wanni were left out of the MOU. Also why
aren't areas north of Valachchenai and along routes such as the
Batticaloa-Badulla road via Maha Oya not open to the public (Sinhala
public)? When will we have peace and unity?
When any Sri
Lankan can reside in any part of Sri Lanka he/she chooses to without
any hassle. -Currently Tamils can do this (at least in towns) but
Sinhalese have no access.
When any person
can travel within Sri Lanka and not be confronted with checkpoints
or visas . Currently the LTTE can travel anywhere in Sri Lanka where
the general public can, but Sinhalese are not given the same privilege.
Is this "Peace" or "Piece".
Anonymous Lankan
Colombo
'Letters
to the Editor' should be brief and to the point.
Address them to:
'Letters to the Editor,
The Sunday Times,
P.O.Box 1136, Colombo.
Or e-mail to
steditor@wijeya.lk or
stfeat@wijeya.lk
Please note that letters cannot be acknowledged or returned.
|