Financial houses go to great extents to advertise their interest rates, particularly for senior citizens, at up to 18 per cent at maturity.
These companies little realise that we senior citizens find it difficult to survive from month to month.
Only the Almighty knows whether we will live to benefit from a deposit and interest reaching maturity. It would be more desirable if these companies gave us the maximum possible as monthly interest.
Another point to note is that Sri Lanka defines a senior citizen as someone who is 55 years and over.
This is incorrect. A senior citizen is someone who is 60 years and over. Lowering the age of retirement does not make a person a “senior citizen”.
With the cost of drugs skyrocketing by the day, senior citizens cannot be expected to be around long enough to enjoy this facility.
Your conscience should tell you what rate of interest you should extend to the elderly.
Senior Citizen,
Athurugiriya
Cops deaf to horn-tooting drivers
Bus drivers like to intimidate other road-users by sounding their horns continuously and revving up their engines to the maximum to force other vehicles out of their way.
The sustained sounding of bus and vehicle horns is upsetting to road-users and pedestrians and often results in accidents.
Bus drivers also have a tendency to overtake other vehicles from the left. Three-wheel drivers and motorcyclists also have the same tendency. The police turn a deaf ear and blind eye to the twin evils of over-use of horns and overtaking on the left.
The loud tooting of horns is a major cause of noise pollution on our roads. Road-users are going deaf because the police are not cracking down on these disturbers of the peace.
N. U. I. Perera,
Homagama
Mahaweli Scheme progressed under both regimes
Deshamanya K. H. J. Wijayadasa has written a thought-provoking article, “Remembering Minneriyadeviyo, a man of the people” (Sunday Times Plus, April 15, 2012).
Mr. Wijayadasa says the planning of the Mahaweli Scheme in 1970, to be completed in three phases in 30 years, was the realisation of a dream of Charles Percival de Silva, also known as “CP”. This is correct. He also says that it was unfortunate that after CP lost his seat in Parliament in 1970 not much progress was made with the Mahaweli Scheme until J. R. Jayewardene, along with Gamini Dissanayake, gave it a kick-start in 1977.
It is incorrect to say that little progress was made between 1970 and 1977. When the SLFP Government came to power in 1970, under the premiership of the late Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the Mahaweli Scheme went ahead and progress was made. The Polgolla dam was built in 1976 and the Mahaweli river was diverted at this dam and into the five-mile tunnel leading to the Ukuwela powerhouse. A hydropower unit at Bowatenna was also planned.
There was progress and after the late J. R. Jayewardene’s UNP Government came to power in 1977, the scheme was completed in six years.
C. M. de Silva,
Ratmalana
Metered three-wheeler is a blessing
Commuters are frequently fleeced by the public transport system. To get back your balance money in a private bus is a Herculean task and trying to find a three-wheel driver who charges a reasonable fare is a wild-goose chase.
It is heartening therefore to see the number of metered three-wheelers on the increase. Their charges are very reasonable and often surprisingly low. Over the past few years, I have been hiring a three-wheeler to take my wife once a month to the Durdans Private Hospital.
The run from my home at Udyana Mawatha, Nugegoda, to the nursing home cost me Rs. 500 one way. Recently, I tried a metered-three-wheeler on the way back and paid only Rs. 280.
A. M.Farook,
Nugegoda
Tomato jam could make a good comeback
About 60 or 70 years ago, Tomato Jam, made by Ceylon Canneries, was a fairly popular consumer item. I do not know whether any others produced it.
On seeing such an abundance of tomatoes these days, much of it going to waste, I thought about tomato jam.
I have no idea why tomato jam production was abandoned. Entrepreneurs should consider bringing tomato jam back into the market. There could be a good local demand and it could even be a lucrative export.
S. Wanniatchi,
Colombo 5 |
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