Letters
to the Editor
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we go round and round the RMV! When I visited the RMV at 9.30 a.m. I was told to pay Rs. 100 to have the car inspected. I wondered as to why I should be called upon to make payments for a lapse of the RMV when they should really be compensating me! Anyway I decided to comply. I was shuffled from pillar to post and it took me over an hour just to make the payment. Then I was told to bring the vehicle for inspection. This process again took more than an hour at the end of which a further shock awaited me. I was requested to bring my aged mother, the registered owner of the vehicle, as her presence was necessary at the time of the inspection of the vehicle. Why could this have not been told to me previously? Anyway I complied with this requirement too. It was now 2.30 p.m. I was happy when I was informed that the certificate of registration would be given to me by 3.30 p.m. But, alas, my joy was shortlived. At 3.40 p.m. I was informed that due to a systems problem it was not possible to issue the certificate of registration that day. I was requested to come again the next day! I tried to meet the Commissioner of Motor Traffic (CMT) to explain my ordeal. A notice outside his office said that he is available to meet members of the public only on Mondays and Wednesdays. As it was a Tuesday and not a day on which he meets the public I was turned away by a security guard. I tried contacting him on his direct telephone line but without success. His secretary who was not interested in listening to my tale of woe informed me that if I had a problem I should fax the copy of the receipt obtained at the time the application was submitted. My intention of meeting the Commissioner was not so much to find a remedy to my own problem especially at this late stage but instead to apprise him of the state of affairs at the RMV so that he could take corrective measures. It appears that the Commissioner does not seem to value comments from the public and is happy to carry on regardless. I hope that this letter catches the attention of the powers that be and that the RMV would provide a satisfactory service to the public at least in the future.
R. M. Fernando Give
helpful but helpless wardens more equipment The person in uniform jumped up from his seat and sternly accosted us and said we cannot feed the elephants in the National Park. After explaining the misunderstanding, we proceeded to the park but after driving 20 minutes we were unable to proceed any further as the road was blocked by a van which had got stuck in a pool of water in the middle of a culvert. The driver and the tracker were trying to start it but to no avail. My son-in-law too got down to see what could be done but we could not budge the van. The driver of the van, their tracker, our tracker and my son-in-law tried to push the van out of the water but as the incline was steep it did not budge. As our vehicle had a winch we brought it close to the van and tried to use it but it too did not work. We had a modern tow rope and managed to pull the van out of the culvert. At this moment I heard another vehicle approaching from the opposite direction and as there was a space for that vehicle to turn into, I jumped out of the vehicle to stop that vehicle approaching too close to our double cab. Behold it was the Park Warden's vehicle coming most probably to check if we were feeding the elephants. When they saw me on the road out of the vehicle and trying to direct traffic, the warden shouted at me for getting out of the vehicle not realizing the situation. He had all the right to do so, as no one is expected to get out of their vehicles. After realizing the situation he asked us to proceed towing the van behind us as we did not have enough time to continue our journey to see some wildlife. We too did not have any other choice as these visitors in the van (a newly married couple and three elderly people) were helpless. All this could have been avoided if only the trackers had some walkie talkies and the park had a vehicle with a winch or at least a reliable tow rope. The park earns enough money to equip the officials with some of the necessary equipment so that the hard working wardens and trackers could do a better job. The work of the alert, helpful and helpless warden would then be more appreciated by all of us. Siri
De Silva Curb
bread and flour prices Those who couldn't afford to eat rice for all three meals began to eat bread with a parippu curry or lunumiris or Pol sambol. But unlike during the good old days, when bread was sold by pounds (16 ounces) at 16 cts. or less, at a controlled price, today under the metric system it is sold by kilogrammes. But a loaf of bread doesn't even weigh 450 gms now and the prices range from Rs. 10 to 40 or even more as it comes in a variety of moulded shapes and sizes. Thus we observe that the prices of bread in the market vary on the whims and fancies of the bakery-owners and their henchmen. There is no fixed price for a loaf of bread and the quality is questionable. The situation is even worse with regard to flour and traders conduct their business unabated against all norms of the law under the Consumer Affairs Authority, adjusting and increasing their prices as they wish. This situation could be remedied if as a preliminary step, flying squads are appointed in every district to conduct surprise raids on these errant bakers and traders. Apart from the bread and flour, it would be advisable if similar action is taken against all other traders in general who carry on their business in contravention of the rules. Could the Consumer Affairs Minister kindly look into the feasibility of gazetting a fixed controlled price for flour and bread. Don
Sarath Abeysekera Name
it after Spittel His proposal to name the Surgical Ward of the Maha Oya Hospital after Dr. R.L. Spittel is a fitting tribute to the man who gave so much for the people of that area. I propose that many more endorse this sentiment to see this wish fulfilled. Kanchana Dayarathne It’s
time for dual flushing Perhaps, one way of limiting water cuts, is the introduction of dual flushing systems in Sri Lanka. It has been found that flushing toilets account for a high percentage of all water utilised in typical homes. In Singapore and certain other countries, this dual flushing system has greatly reduced flush volumes in all homes. Water bills, too, have dropped to lower levels. Rodney
M. Downall Let
your endurance shine on Your
mother thought she had lost you In
the walls of our minds They
call you Baby Eighty-one Vijay Sahni
'Letters
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