• A story of a pension

• Save the elephant

• Cut down on lotteries

• No admittance

  
   

A story of a pension

'PENSION' In French is a Continental boarding house and this is like a short story of Maupassant. It is a harassing account about the payment to me by the Government for 30 years of past service in obsolete posts such as Superintendent, Colombo Group of Hospitals.

Since 1987, when I retired from the Ministry of Health at 55 years, my pension was credited to my bank at Nugegoda until I came in December last year to live in the residence of the late Venerable Rahula, with his pupil monk, seeking solitude by the Diyawanna Oya. My story begins here.

I informed the AGA/Dehiwela of my change of address. There was no acknowledgement. Many Government departments have stopped the courtesy. Nearly a month later, I got a copy of a letter to AGA/Kotte transferring my file informing that the January pension is sent to the bank.

I went to the AGA Office Kotte. The file is not received. The clerk asked me to come again next week because it is compulsory.

As instructed, I climbed the stairs again with difficulty - I am nearly 75 years - and as before, while the servant of the public sat and finished her work, the putative master stood waiting, 'like a hireling his wage.'

Why is it compulsory the clerk personally sees me before she starts work on my file? Does it matter if I am black or khaki? What if I was invalid? I have a unique pension number.

As it turned out, I had to fill a form and show her my ID. It did not change any information she had in the file. Was it compulsory because I now dress in white sarong and shirt and speak Sinhala?

It appears they are scorned in the public service. Go in tie suit, K-shoes and speak English, though it is not understood. Two weeks ago, the monk and I rushed our cook who had a heart attack early morning to the General Hospital.

The doctors, notwithstanding my dress, acted promptly and he was immediately cared. A patient in the ward said something pleadingly in Tamil to the attendant. He peremptorily told him to speak Sinhala.

Whatever happens in Geneva, a Tamil man who may know English also, has no chance in the Sinhala-only public service.

Back to my pension. I could not draw my money from the bank because neither AGA sent the pension receipt form.

I then spoke to Lionel Fernando, a neighbour. (Ironically, he is Chairman, Disaster Relief Monitoring Unit of the Human Rights Commission) He contacted the Accountant of GA/Colombo and gave her telephone number. Speaking to her was a shock.

She curtly asked me not to waste time writing letters. Telephone, go to Dehiwela and get the job done.

I protested severely. Lionel spoke to her again. It did not ring a bell. She told to him that she does not know my telephone number. He gave it. She promised to ring me, but did not, for the second time.

What she told both of us in effect is this: "I have paid myself even my February salary. A person not in my roll should get himself paid.' This is the attitude of the unredeemed, ubiquitous, prototype Government accountant. Such as they however had a short-life with me, 40 years ago.

The clerk at Kotte had told that my February and March pension would be paid together because there is no money to pay me. My bank account went into overdraft. I transferred to it all from a savings account.

I then tried twice to speak with the Director/Pensions. The woman answering refused to even take my name down. I decided that I shall not beg for my pension.

I complained to the Attorney General by e-mail and letter, with copies to the President, Minister of Public Administration and Director Pensions. The Attorney General took immediate action.

That set everyone on fire. I threw oil with an express letter to the President. I immediately got the pension receipt form by post - for two months! But it is wrong.

Purportedly, I am paid also arrears. The year and month reads '03-2006.' That is, I am paid even for March. I have yet to get the January pension lying forlorn at the Nugegoda bank and it could be returned to payer assuming I am dead. What a saga of a pension!

I am not writing this for amusement. My experience exposes venal conduct on the part of senior public servants.

As I wrote to the President 'Of what use is any plan to a Sinhala, or Tamil, or Muslim poor man with no means to complain and get redress from an uncaring callous public service?' How can he overcome attitudes of persons he expects to give leadership? Is my story a sample of one?

KINGSLEY HEENDENIYA -
Kotte.

Save the elephant

OUT of say over 198 countries in the World Organisation (UN), a mere handful as less as some 20 countries confined to Africa and Asia have been gifted by the nature with this massive but yet beautiful mammal, including Sri Lanka with of course comparatively a generous bountiful.

With the increase of human population which was a mere 6 million in 1948 has now risen threefold to 18 million and this peaceful creature quite rightly feels that man ever intrudes into his natural domain.

In this clash of interests, elephant is the victim in most instances than man of course occasionally.

No human being with proper senses could ever opine to the destruction of an elephant under any provocation, unless he has other ulterior motives in retrieving its body parts like tusks, skeleton etc. once killed.

Elephants frequent remote jungles in search of its daily food and come into conflict in the process with humans whom it considers as having encroached into its ever dwindling homelands.

In such conflicts by the time State Wildlife Wardens, expected to protect them, come to their rescue, in most instances willy-nilly the crime is committed, evidence suppressed and offender vanished from the scene of crime.

Elephant for their luck, had been the symbol of a main political party from its inception which has given succour to them at crucial elections in victory or defeat. But this party had done little to save this endangered species.

Therefore this party is morally bound to protect this nature's gift enlisting party cadres spread far and wide in the country, from game-hunters and from live-electric fence trackers on trifle pretext, which the partymen would willingly undertake such a party-command from the leader, as elephant-lovers, not only politically but as those naturally inclined to protect fauna and flora from vandals.

Superstition is that the curse of dying elephants in agony perhaps the cause of this party in wilderness.

W. SAMARANAYAKA -
Maharagama.

Cut down on lotteries

SINCE the new Government is keen on cutting down waste and unnecessary expenditure in Government Departments, Corporations and Statutory Bodies and all other spheres is it not prudent to centralize the various Lottery organisations.

There is a plethora of Lottery tickets on sale now - Sevana, Mahajana Sampatha, Hospital Lottery, Lotto, Saturday Fortune, Development Fortune and so many types of scratch tickets etc., which are put out by Sevana Secretariat, Development Lottery Board, National Lotteries Board etc.

Therefore there is a triplication or more of men and materials and unnecessary use of office and building space which could be put to better use if all Lotteries are handled by the National Lotteries Board. If necessary all the other Lotteries can be housed in one large building.

As regards redundant staff as is the practice in situations like this, the employees can be given a Golden Handshake and thus reduce staff to manageable proportions.

Why not retain a few Lotteries and offer very attractive prizes both in cash and kind like houses, cars, motorcycles, refrigerators, furniture etc.

There should also be a monthly draw on the tickets (as was the practice at the inception of Lotteries) that have not won any prizes.

Here too they should have various prizes in cash and also items of utility value. This would also solve an environmental problem by way of not adding to the already existing garbage problem as the non-winners will take their tickets to be posted instead of littering all the roads, lanes and by-lanes with discarded tickets.

It is also pertinent to inquire as to why the Development Lottery, Saturday Fortune and Jayoda tickets do not have the printed date of draw instead of the Agents Rubber Stamp with the date of draw, which can be abused by unscrupulous Agents.

Will the President as Minister of Finance give this matter his serious consideration in the interests of Sweep ticket buyers who also add to the Government's coffers.

VERNON DAWSON -
 Dehiwela.

No admittance

IT was 9.30 a.m. on 24.02.2006 that I attempted to enter the District Secretariat, Colombo (formerly the grand old Colombo Kachcheri), situated in Dam Street, Pettah.

To my utter disbelief, the security officer informed me that an order had been received to refrain from admitting the public into the premises that morning, due to a meeting attended by the entire staff.

One can just imagine the plight of an octogenarian, resident in the remote southeastern boundary of the District, who having travelled all the way in more than one bus, had to trudge a long distance from the bus halt to this office, and finally find himself rudely turned away in this manner.

To my knowledge, Government offices are never closed to the public during normal working hours, unless the Government had already declared the day, a special public holiday.

In this instance, it must be emphasized that the action was illegal and highly irresponsible, especially at a time when the Government is gearing itself to revamping the performance of the public sector.

It is our prayer that display of such lunacy by public officers, will never occur in this country in future.

G. G. J - Kotte.