• Traffic uni-flow system

• Clean Police - dream of every citizen

• IT sector posers

• Electronic timers to control street lights

• Stop selling cigarettes

• Jambugasmulla Mawatha - Nugegoda road crying for repairs

Traffic uni-flow system

In the late 1960s late SP, Mr. Seram, who was the then SP traffic, Colombo, father of late Srimanie Athulathmudali, introduced the uni-flow system covering Fort and Pettah areas which is still being continued with minor adjustments.

When he introduced this system many motorists including some police officers expressed their views openly condemning this new uni-flow system and even called him a crazy cop. Gradually the motorists and the police officers accepted the new uni-flow system which is still holding good.

Present SSP, Traffic, Mr. Lafir introduced a uni-flow system in the Cinnamon Garden area last year, there were protests and a hue and cry against the new traffic system.

However, within a few weeks time, the system has been accepted and is working well. The motorists and the general public have accepted the new traffic arrangement.

From this week a new uni-flow system has been implemented starting from Bambalapitiya and Kollupitiya covering the Galle Road and Duplication Road.

Such uni-flow systems are working well enabling smooth and quick movements of vehicles without long traffic snarls.

We should commend the Police Department and the SSP, Traffic, for introducing the uni-flow systems in the city and we should extend all possible support to have the uni-flow systems working smoothly so that the motorists need not spend most of their time inside the car caught up in traffic jams.

B. ANTON JEYANATHAN - Battaramulla

Clean Police - dream of every citizen

THE Police is the institutional force socially and politically placed in between the Government and the people. Therefore, their duty is the most onerous and honourable and the least rewarding and awarding.

A people whose Police is corrupt and inefficient are the most unfortunate. The moral and social substance of a Nation rests on the speedy and impartial implementation of law and order.

The Police top brass must be essentially clean and exemplary and an epitome of virtuous conduct and dedication to duty. A clean Police is the dream of every citizen with the only exception being some of the politicians, criminals and dealers in illegal activity.

Every citizen must feel safe, and find peace at the Police where justice prevails in greater magnitude then may be even the courts where the legal luminaries hold sway over the litigants with gravity of the legal battle fought on the floor dictating terms.

How to ensure a clean Police? First and foremost, the politicians of whichever hue and cry should not interfere with the Police duty and activity except when a written complaint is made to the Minister in-charge who will promptly inquire into allegation of corruption and bias.

The Policeman should refrain from consuming liquor while on duty (a policeman is on 24-hour duty) and be content with the remuneration, perks and the prestige they enjoy while performing duty in helping those who need help and protection.

If a clean Police is established, it is the criminals and the wrong-doers who shiver, and every law-abiding citizen will breath happily and freely within an environment of peace and justice, which only a noble and clean Police could offer.

E. M. G. EDIRISINGHE - Dehiwala

IT sector posers

FURTHER to the valuable Editorial on December 1 under the above caption, I wish to give some very relevant and factual feedback information on the above subject.

1. IT sector requires 5000 more Lankan IT professionals by 2010 as quoted by G.M, Virtussa, Madu Ratnayake.

2. However, the IT graduates passing out from the Universities, and all other Private Institutions such as IDM, NIBM etc. are left in the lurch without jobs. Every job advertised specifically requires a minimum of 1 to 2 or several years of relevant experience.

Most of the advertisements, 95 percent of them, you can easily say are from private sector who always ask for highly experienced professionals, and no one is prepared to invest on training young graduates.

3. The real problem in the IT sector at the present moment is the lack of necessary training or basic practical hands on experience, for the newly passing out graduates, which becomes a compulsory requirement to get employed in the available private sector IT market.

4. Students who have obtained their degrees as far back as June 2005 are still not gainfully employed, for want of the several years of experience the IT market is demanding. Recently there was an interview for a Database Administrator post in a Government sector organisation on a relatively lower salary, for which there were more than 40 candidates.

5. Another semi-government organisation requiring an Assistant Network Manager has received so many applications that they are conducting a written exam next week to select the short list to call for an interview.

6. In the private sector IT market, raw graduates have no chance of getting an employment through the normal channels, as they are grabbing only the already employed persons on better terms.

That is why the dearth and demand for IT personnel is ever on the increase. The demand is actually for the trained and experienced IT personnel.

The raw IT graduates produced by the degree awarding Institutions are at present, left in the lurch - nobody wants them without several years of experience and no one is prepared to recruit them with necessary training at the beginning of employment.

In view of the above-mentioned facts may I humbly appeal to the Dept. of Education or any other relevant Government organisation responsible for higher education to make it compulsory for the respective Degree awarding Institutions to incorporate necessary training in their curriculum, so that the graduates passing out will be fit to be absorbed in the industry, thus making it possible to get an employment easily.

Let these degree-awarding Institutions levying exorbitant tuition fees keep abreast of IT market by reading the newspapers and prepare Graduates wanted by Employment Market.

Alternatively, the Government may insist on all IT Degree awarding Institutions to have their own IT companies or collaborations with other suitable IT Companies as a compulsory requirement to obtain their Licencse to run such Institutions.

Of course, these Institutions may collect fees for all the services they provide.

Civil engineers, NDT, HIND, NCT holders and Accountancy students are easily employed even before their results are out.

S. M. IBRA LEBBE - Dehiwala

Electronic timers to control street lights

ELECTRONIC timers could control the operation of street lights. advanced digital timers can be programmed for the entire year with timing of sunrise and sunset and can eliminate a manual operation, which could be very effective in Sri Lanka for saving electricity.

The manual operation of the system has several disadvantages with street lights remaining on in many areas during the daylight hours. If appropriate action is taken to eliminate the old manual system and install the electronic timers, it will no doubt help conserve energy in our country,

The problem of constant power failures too could be eliminated with this advanced system. Some parts of the country already have the solar cell system street lights for the outdated manual switching on and off operation. These too can be converted to electronic timer to control Street lights throughout the country.

There is a big advertising campaign by the Government through the TV and other media to save electricity by requesting the switching off of alternative street lights and unnecessary domestic lights, as our country will come to a crisis point in the near future.

Minister of Energy should seriously consider installing the electronic timer devices throughout the country.

V. K. B. RAMANAYAKE - Maharagama

Stop selling cigarettes

It is a very welcome move by the Government to nab the smokers in public places and fine them for committing the prohibited crime of smoking. But I feel that smokers will be tempted to buy cigarettes after taking a cup of milk or plain tea or coffee.

It has become a habitual practice for all regular smokers. Therefore, it is advisable for the Government authorities to ban selling all kinds of smoking cigarettes, cigars, beedis etc.

Then only the regular smokers will lose the chance of smoking.

After some time, they will give up the bad habit of smoking.

M. Y. M. MEEADH - Dumbuluwawa

Jambugasmulla Mawatha - Nugegoda road crying for repairs

The Jambugasmulla Mawatha - Nugegoda road continues to be in disrepair and in a deplorable condition, for the past three months, after the road was dug right in the middle.

This road extends from the 7th mile post on High Level Road - Nugegoda to the Pepiliyana Road.

According to the National Water Supply and Drainage Board in Maharagama. Rs. 500,000 was given to the Urban Council - Maharagama to have this road attended to.

The chairperson of the Provincial Council Maharagama says that the matter has been entrusted to contractors. Due to the heavy rains in the recent past the water flows down where the road slopes and creates a ditch, which makes it impossible for vehicular traffic.

Water collects in these pot-holes, and pedestrians are splashed with muddy water.

It is therefore, high time that the authorities took prompt action and repaired this stretch of road without further delay.

ES - Nugegoda