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| Thursday, 26 August 2004 |
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Letters | |
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Please forward your letters to editor@dailynews.lk in plain text format within the e-mail message, since as a policy we do not open any attachments. Unprotected level-crossings Sometimes we see on TV accidents where trains have collided with moving motor vehicles at level-crossings, reducing them to smithereens, and the occupants either killed or seriously injured. Although the motorists are to be blamed for negligence, the Railway authorities too are at fault in not taking steps to prevent such accidents. The protection of accidents at level-crossings by providing gates is an international safety measure. In Sri Lanka, there are some level-crossings which are unprotected. At one time there were some bamboo gates to prevent accidents at these crossings. Some of them have now disappeared and danger lies at such Devil's Crossings. The railway track is a legal reservation, but when there is a level-crossing, for the movement of motor traffic, it becomes a common road. Most accidents at these crossings take place due to carelessness of drivers at the wheel and due to drunken driving when Dutch courage over-rules the fear of accidents. Warning drivers of the impending danger at level-crossings leads nowhere. The only practical way is to install signal bells at the crossings, to operate automatically, when trains pass over a certain electric gadget fixed to the rails, which becomes pressed down when wheels of the Iocomotive run over the circuit-breaker. At certain level-crossings, semaphore signals control road traffic. When a motor vehicle crosses a railway line on an incline, it is far more risky than on level ground. Sometimes, when a driver sees an approaching train at close range, he gets excited and the vehicle comes to a sudden halt when trying to cross the line in haste. This usually happens in the split of a second which is, very often, unavoidable. ARYADASA RATNASINGHE - Mattegoda. Banking manipulations in UK I am only talking about the happenings in the United Kingdom regarding the remittances of monies to Sri Lanka, as I am not aware of the methods practised in other countries. In UK there are two private organisations to my knowledge (both owned by Sri Lankans) and may be others too, that transfers money to Sri Lanka. When a person goes to them to transfer money to Sri Lanka, they take your Sterling Pounds and give Sri Lankan rupees at this end. They totally refuse to transfer the money in the form of Sterling Pounds to Sri Lanka, unlike Bank of Ceylon which transfer money in the same denomination, as handed over to them. People use this service as it is cheaper way to transfer the money through them, than Bank of Ceylon, where they charge the sender on a slab-basis, starting from 5.00 sterling pounds onwards. But these private organisations transfer money at a flat rate or, cheaper rate irrespective of the amount of money to be transferred, making it more attractive to the sender. I am sure Bank of Ceylon in London is aware of this process and turns a blind eye without making any changes to their system, to attract these clients to them. Besides, I do not know how the Central Bank could stop these manipulations as Sri Lanka is losing much needed/valued foreign exchange. Under these circumstances any person with considerable amount of money in Sri Lanka, can start a similar business and get all his money transferred to the UK. More surprising factor is, some named Banks in Sri Lanka pays the local cash to the recipients on their advice. All Sri Lankan newspapers in UK advertise these organisations to entice the clients and also inform the would be customers, that their organisation is approved by the 'Central Bank of Sri Lanka'. I would be much obliged, if 'Central Bank' authorities enlighten us through media whether this procedure does any harm or not to our country, whereas 'Foreign Exchange' is concerned. W. S - Colombo 5. I reply the letter Dr. N. M. Perera accolade (DN Aug. 23.) The author states he was the Acting Manager of the Peoples Bank, Union Place branch when Dr. N. M. Perera visited the bank. because there was a long queue Dr. N. N. Perera was invited to the manager's office for preferential treatment. Dr. N. M. Perera had refused. Thereafter the Bank Manager had jumped the queue and Dr. N. M. Perera was served ahead of the others in the queue. The justification for the preferential treatment was that Dr. N. M. Perera was a busy person, Minister of State etc. If there was a long queue, common sense would be to open additional counters or to find other methods of expeditiously serving all customers. Unless the customer is physically handicapped, or is clearly stated that certain segments of society (example: clergy) shall receive preferential treatment, rendering privileges to others is certainly no elitist service for a professed Marxist Socialist Dr. N. M. Perera! Jumping the queue to serve a special 'busy person' assumes all the others in the queue are there for a Sunday nap. We all patiently wait our turn, and we are all busy in our own endeavours. And yes, we understand it would make too much sense to open additional serving counters to meet the needs of our fellow citizens. GAMINI WEERASEKERA - U.S.A. Entrance fees for locals at Polonnaruwa Do locals have to show their identity cards at our cultural sites? My friend Wendy worked with me at a travel company from 1988 - 1993. She then married and went to live in Dubai. She was recently here on holiday and wanted to introduce her two sons aged 7+ and 5+ to our cultural sites. They went to Polonnaruwa on Monday July 12 but had forgotten to take their identity cards along with them. But her mother-in-law had showed her's. But the officers at the site were insisting that they buy entrance tickets priced at US$15/- + taxes. They spoke to them in our native tongue just to prove that they were from Sri Lanka but it did not convince the ticket office. They were told anybody can speak Sinhala. Now this is the first time that I have heard that Sinhala is a universal language! I am glad that they did not let these officers bully them into buying tickets at tourist prices as customer resistance is what we need in this country! They were disappointed that they had to forego visiting Sigiriya as well as they did not want to risk another encounter like the one they faced at the ticket office in Polonnaruwa. For someone who worked in the travel trade for five years arranging tours for tourists visiting our country it was a great disappointment not to be able to introduce her young sons to our cultural heritage. This is the ugly side of tourism which has made us so greedy for money. Incidents like this certainly do not promote locals to visit the cultural sites in their country and leaves a rather poor image of tourism in their hearts and minds. Iromi Salgado - Colombo 2. I have observed that almost everyday few letters appear in this column regarding the above subject. As far as I would remember except for a letter written by a reader from Panadura all the others were about the delay and shortcomings in rectifying these anomalies according to circular 6/2004 issued in February 2004. Most had been very critical of the officers at Divisional Secretaries. I am a teacher who retired in 1990 according to circular 44/90. The Divisional Secretariat of Ruwanwella had attached a form with my July pension voucher requesting me to complete it and return. I was able to return it in just two days as I had all the details and the documents, the copies of which they had called for. I was quite surprised to find my pension had been adjusted and arrears too paid with my August pension. At the Bank I found many others who had got theirs as well. On inquiry I found that they had paid about 100 pensioners and the balance to be paid with their September pension if they had returned the form duly completed. That I think is what is called effiency and commitment to help others, in addition to duty. I have heard that there are many other Divisional Sec. in the Kegalle District where they have paid many pensions already and we should thank them as it is a very cumbersome method of adjusting. There are many pensioners who had retired long, long ago, who are unable to produce copies of the documents that are called for. It is the duty of the Director of Pensions to take steps to rectify this as the officers in the Divisional Sec. are helpless as they have to work according to circulars. PERCY WIJEKOON - Ruwanwella. Snake wine and yoga Your recent editorial discussed snake wine and an article explained yoga and its benefits. Every drug has its side effects. But yoga does not. We suffer by taking drugs - snake wine or viagra at a high risk. But you enjoy yoga. Why suffer if we can enjoy our life. Drugs are easy and lazy. But yoga disciplines the entire life. Why viagra if you know 'Ashvini mudra'? why pressure tablets when you enjoy 'Janu sirsasana'! yoga makes people mentally tough and physically fit and brings out inner beauty of a person. K. U. Pushpakumara - Pitakotte. Cader's statement A person produced before a Magistrate and remanded is a person under Court procedure. Such a person cannot or should not be heard by the public, to make statements about the matter in respect of which he/she is remanded, before he/she has been examined and cross-examined. Her/his statement to the public, made even via the chambers in 'Parliament' is an attempt to prejudice the public mind, and in principle is against the theme audi alteram partem. Cader should not have been permitted to make in Parliament the statement which he did make. DENROY - Etul Kotte. Millennium Centre - C.M.C. The Millennium Centre was founded by the Colombo Municipal Council by the previous Mayor to coincide the Millennium Year. This Centre was constructed to impart knowledge in information technology and make available Internet and E-mail facility to middle and low income people of the city of Colombo. There is a move now by the present administration of the Colombo Municipal Council to hand it over the Centre to a present Municipal Councillor. These types of practices are still continuing in spite of many exposures on TV and newspapers. Will the authorities take action to prevent such abuses and handing over properties of the Council to political favourites? Unless and until immediate action is taken by the authorities, many services offered to the people by the Council will come to a standstill. A. R. M. Wadood - Colombo 2. |
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