Bane
of the Public Service
The Sunday Times piece, "Even jumping the high fence..."
(Odds and Ends, August 24), clearly depicts the malaise that
has sickened the highly politicized Public Service in this
country.
There
was a time when the Public Service of Ceylon was praised for
its efficiency, honesty and integrity. It was considered the
best in Asia. That was when the white man ruled the country.
When local politics crept into this sector like a cancer,
professional and educational qualifications, honesty and integrity
in recruitments, promotions and transfers took a backstage.
Political patronage and subservience to the ruling party became
the driving force of the Public Service.
It is
a well known fact that the appointment of Rumi Marzook as
Commissioner of Prisons was a political one. He was handpicked
for the job by Interior Minister John Amaratunga despite protests
from various quarters, not only by opposition MPs but also
by some members of the Cabinet itself. When a political appointment
is made, the main concern of the appointee is to serve his
master, not the state or the public who pay him. His or her
main priority would be to protect the post. However, the incident
reported in The Sunday Times was the extreme.
Though
Ranga Bandara is an MP of the ruling party today, he is a
former policeman and as far as I know cannot hold a candle
to Rumi Marzook in respect of educational or professional
qualifications. Marzook was serving as a magistrate prior
to his appointment as Commissioner of Prisons. Even a police
sub-inspector dare not speak directly to a serving magistrate
even in an unofficial conversation.
Now we
hear of this Commissioner of Prisons running to the roadside,
wriggling through a protective fence and meeting the MP. I
cannot imagine to what level he would stoop to, if the caller
were Minister John Amaratunga or some other minister. What
is the service the public and the government can expect from
an official who degrades himself and his post by such servile
acts.
This
is not something unexpected in a country where the political
hierarchy from top to bottom stinks with utmost inefficiency,
corruption and lethargy. This is the pathetic and unfortunate
situation in almost all public and corporate sector institutions.
With acolytes of the ruling party politicos dictating terms
everywhere, this country is doomed.
The readers
of The Sunday Times should not be surprised if they find a
news item that a ruling party backbencher had gate-crashed
the prison and removed a group of prisoners after the Commissioner
of Prisons was kicked out.
S.J. Amarasiriwardena
Panadura
Retired
employees: A forgotten section of the population?
Retired public servants and private sector employees appear
to be a forgotten section of the population. If a survey is
conducted it will reveal that a large percentage of these
persons face immense hardships. They cannot be expected to
depend on their children, since barring a small fraction,
children themselves have their own problems. Retired people
often fall sick.
The cost
of drugs and medical tests is prohibitive. Channelled consultation
fees keep increasing. Unsatisfactory service, lack of essential
drugs and other shortcomings scare away even the less infirm
from government hospitals. Often the medical bills of pensioners
alone are a big slice, if not the entirety, of their pension.
Till
recently most retired persons were dependent on the interest
from savings or fixed deposits placed in banks with monies
received by way of gratuity or award. Now with bank interest
rates being slashed, pensioners are receiving tremendous blows.
What they now get as interest is chicken feed considering
their essential needs.
With
regard to interest rates, the intentions of the government
appear to be clear. Its emphasis seems to be on investment,
to bolster economic activity to achieve rapid development
and to provide more employment. Evidently, the government
discourages the ultra-rich from depending on interest derived
from large scale savings in banks. In economic terms that's
fine.
But what
of the less-privileged and retired people? What investment
can they make with, say a few lakhs of hard-earned rupees.
Considering their plight it is incumbent on the government
to evolve a scheme through which persons, beyond the age of
60, who can produce proof of having received a retiring gratuity
or award from the government or other recognised institution,
could receive a special higher rate of interest over the normal
rate on his savings or fixed deposits. Such a scheme can operate
like Samurdhi or old-age allowance schemes.
It will
be limited to a deserving few who have spent their entire
life in national service. They do not plead for charity nor
for a dole. They only want a reasonable rate of interest on
their own money placed as savings or deposits, to keep their
heads above water.
A. Abeygoonawardhana
Homagama
Revised
SLT charges
This is with reference to Dr. Mareena Thaha Reffai's letter,
"Whom are they trying to hoodwink?" (The Sunday
Times, August 24). I disagree with her on this issue. It is
true that the cost of living is unendurable but I am sure
the 200 free units offered by SLT despite the increased rental
of Rs. 450 from September 1 will be a bonus to the lower middle
class.
If one
has a telephone, surely one yearns to use it for a chat with
a friend or relative without watching the minutes tick by!
I am sure any subscriber would have hitherto had a monthly
bill of at least Rs. 450 of which Rs. 240 was the rental and
Rs. 210 the call charges.
If, as
Dr. Reffai suggests, SLT charges a rental of Rs. 200 and Rs.
3 per unit for the first 200 units we will only be able to
speak for 80 minutes during peak hours, 240 minutes during
the economy period or for 720 minutes during the discount
period to maintain our call charges at Rs. 250.
However,
under the new scheme, for the same amount we will be able
to speak for 200 minutes, 600 minutes or 1,800 minutes respectively
during those time zones for a total Rs. 450. We must also
take into consideration that the discount period will begin
at 9 p.m. and not at 10 p.m. The only time the lower middle
class will be affected is when the whole family goes on holiday.
Thilaha Yoganathan
Colombo 6
Column
clouded by personal religious beliefs
As the Secretary of the All Ceylon Women's Buddhist Congress,
I write in response to 'When are conversions improper', by
Kishali Pinto Jayawardena (The Sunday Times, September 14).
Many of
her earlier contributions to 'Focus on Rights' seemed reasonable
and objective. Unfortunately, in this case her personal religious
beliefs have clouded her vision. Her article is a one-sided
and vigorous defence of the fundamentalist and Christian view
of this issue.
The All
Ceylon Women's Buddhist Congress is the organisation which
initiated the last two successful actions in the Supreme Court
against unethical conversions. It is interesting that the
correspondent considers herself competent to pass strictures
on the judgments of the Supreme Court.
I will
restrict myself to commenting on two offensive remarks made
by her towards the end of the article. The first is: "Restricting
some religions to a narrow compass while allowing another
unlimited freedom, could be hugely counter-productive."
Another
(religion) she refers to is the Buddha Sasana. The judgment
she derides simply reiterated Article 9 of the Constitution
which reads: "The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give Buddhism
the foremost place and, accordingly it shall be th duty of
the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana."
The writer
has the temerity to challenge this clause entrenched in the
Constitution, accusing it of being "hugely counterproductive
in the domestic context"
Her last two sentences are as follows:
"One
shudders to think of the havoc that would be wreaked if religious
tensions (or worse) are also stirred into this explosive mixture
(i.e. racial tensions). One is also left wondering at the
sheer perfidy of those who appear, in fact, to want this to
happen."
The writer
has "gone to town" by accusing Buddhists of wreaking
religious havoc when we, quite justifiably and legally, protest
against unethical conversions - which have now been unequivocally
deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. She has shrewdly
fought shy of accusing the Supreme Court of causing this havoc
by its judgement but has concentrated her ire on the plaintiffs
who initiated this action.
Indrani
Devendra
Honorary Secretary,
All Ceylon Women's Buddhist Congress
Good
programmes eliminated
Rupavahini became a 24-hour channel, gaining over 12 hours
additional time. But it has stopped televising hitherto beneficial
programmes. For example the Karaneiya Metta Sutra Desanawa.
Though Rupavahini is the government mouthpiece, it is not
following government policy in protecting the Buddha Sasana.
Being the last programme it had a soothing effect on the mind
and ensured a sound sleep. When re-programming, I hope Rupavahini
will telecast it at 10.30 p.m.
- V.K.B. Ramanayake
Maharagama |
