Letters to the Editor
View(s):The Govt. that entered office riding a wave of enthusiasm and promise must step carefully
When rural folks were skipping meals more than Rs. 472 million public funds was spent in renovating his official residence as a retirement home of a former president.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his election manifesto, promised to curb wasteful government expenditure and if this is one way of cutting down on such waste, one could hardly find fault with him, given the low income levels of ordinary citizens. The country needs income to meet these shortfalls. What is wrong is the manner President Dissanayake has gone about his task when he has enormous power and authority to act upon.
We have seen Governments that entered office riding a wave of enthusiasm and promise crashing against the rocks of unmet expectations, economic crises or political missteps. Hence President Dissanayake needs to be watchful of his team of novices as there are conflicting statements or acts by government institutions or ministers on various issues.
According to the Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways, the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ project would only begin on February 1, when the President did the launch on January 1. The power tariff reduction was made on January 17 but the Energy Minister had on January 9 told Parliament that the “electricity tariff could not be reduced overnight and it would take up to three years”.
In the same vein, the Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Minister on January 8 told Parliament “free distribution of 20 kilos of rice per person by the previous government before the Presidential election has resulted in the shortage of red rice in the market”.
An MP on December 21, 2024 said, “People have the complete right to convince others that something true is false or something false is true, as it is a democratic right.” However such incidents can cause a loss of faith in the Government.
Vinodini Jayawardena Via email
Traffic laws that are often flouted
While fully endorsing the views in the letter published on January 5, ‘Speeding drivers a menace on our roads’, by Tudor Wickremasinghe, I would like to bring to the notice of officers in charge of traffic in police stations to inform the drivers of buses, cars, tuk-tuks, motorcycles and scooters as well as cyclists of the traffic laws that are often flouted.
Following offences should not be permitted:
1) Motorcyclists and scooters taking small children without head protection
2) Drivers suddenly stopping to pick up passengers.
3) Vehicle and tuk drivers parking at corners to side roads especially on Galle Road blocking traffic.
4) Driving only with one hand on steering wheel.
5) Using a mobile when driving.
Rohan G Via email
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