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| Monday, 17 February 2003 |
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The escalating Dengue and other fevers The immediate step is to destroy the swarms of mosquitoes. Rapidly breeding due to the heaps and heaps of garbage and the clogged drains. Nauseating smell when one gets onto the road. During the first Iraq war the American forces utilised Flame Throwers most destructively. I have seen a modified version - a portable Flame thrower eliminating scrub-land effectively. Grandiose schemes are being adopted to combat this menace BUT the mounds of garbage are growing rapidly everywhere. TUDOR G. JAYEWARDENE
It was highlighted in the press (DN, Jan 27), that the Sri Lanka Railway (SLR), is planning to re-introduce 1st Class travel in trains from Colombo to Bandarawela, with luxury accommodation to boost tourist industry. There was 1st Class travel during the Colonial days, but it was scrapped due to economic reasons, because only European planters and a few members of elite families made use of such luxury travel. Today, there is strong competition between rail and road transport systems, where luxury buses and air-conditioned coaches have entered into the arena of transport rivals in the tourist businesses. The road transport is preferred because the vehicles can get to the very heart of the place of tourist attraction, e.g., Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa etc., where trains do not reach. Today, most tourists travel by buses and coaches to save time. I think the idea for a luxury train is to provide transport facilities to politicians and high ranking officials, rather than tourists, for their official travel, with no income to the Government. If so, the purpose of a luxury train for tourists is lost. I think the SLR must do something beneficial and equal to all train travellers. Just see the plight of the daily commuters who travel up and down by train to their places of work and vice versa, jammed in compartments not better than cattle wagons. Has the SLR thought of this inhuman mode of travel? Will the high-ranking officials in the SLR travel on footboard to get to their office? Before providing luxury and comfort for passengers, the SLR must look into the bare necessities, such as seating accommodation, lighting at night, unbroken windows and doors, neat closets, good water service, bug-free seats etc., which are a common factor in most trains. Running under depressed financial conditions, the SLR must be careful of what and how it spends money, without allowing to rise from the present state of despondency. ARYADASA RATNASINGHE
I am shocked to learn that there is a proposal to allow public servants to undertake private work for monetary gain. This is adding insult to injury. Does this mean that tax officers could have their own private clients? Architects in the UDA can undertake Building Plans for private customers. State Counsels in the Attorney General's Department could appear for private litigants. Valuation Officers could do valuations for claimants and loan applicants from State and private Banks and so on. Today's public servant is arrogant, proud and ignorant of their duties. They cannot take decisions and lay by every controversial file. They are no more "Your obedient servant", but they are the bosses of the public. The proposal affects many departments and it is not for the Minister of Public Administration to take a decision without consulting all departments and the Organisation of Professional Associations. There is so much unemployment in the country and to allow public servants to eat into the private sector is the unkindest cut of all. Today's public servant is not that poor public servant of yesteryear. They are drawing higher salaries. They are well to do judging by the luxury residences they build all over the country. I hope this proposal will be removed. Once opened no future Government will be able to close this sluice. It will completely destroy the public service. R.P.S.
More and more people are attracted by trains due to cheap fares and safety of travelling. Safety depends on many factors. The condition of brake power, coaches, tracks and bridges are to name a few. But very little concern about tracks and bridges which are equally indispensable as well as rolling stock. Alas, no sufficient funds allocated to maintain this vital section of railway tracks and bridges instead speed restrictions being imposed according to railway sources. Deterioration of tracks and bridges cannot be observed all of a sudden. Those who perform the work could only realise the panic situation likely to form up as a result of non maintenance. In the history of Sri Lankan Railway no collapses of bridges reported as they have been inspected and maintained in a considerable manner. But maintenance of bridges has become almost standstill due to lack of funds. Anyhow this is not a healthy situation regarding safe traffic. The prevailing restrictions of funds will make more bridges classified under replacement. Trains will be delayed owing to speed restrictions. Government servants travel by trains may be allowed to report their duties late. Private sector employees will be compelled to find their own mode of transport. Other train commuters also may be fed up with travelling by trains when they fail to reach their destinations in time daily. Train travelling may become precarious and with utmost discontent commuters are compelled to travel by buses paying more than double of train fares for the same journey. It is not so late if the Government wishes to restructure the train service essential and important. After all I wish to remind the well-known proverb "Prevention is better than cure" under the Government, Authority or private sector administration. I. L. M.
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