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It is good to hear that 4000 new people are being recruited to the
Sri Lanka Administrative Service(SLAS).
However, recruitment has to be justified in terms of the increased
productivity to the national economy. In other words they should be able
to add value, at least, double the cost of their cost of employment!
That is not an easy task due to a number of reasons. One of them
obviously is the rampant mismanagement of Government institutions.
One of the primary causes of this, the absence of a national shared
vision for people to work for a better life for themselves as well as
for the country at large. Such a vision should be supported by a range
of innovative policies and there should also be the programmes and
projects to take the country forward.
One other thing the administrative system in Sri Lanka has not been
able to do was the effective management of human systems. Over the past
things have been taken for granted. There was no consenses in the
decision process.
The ‘systems’ management concept was never practised and a large
number of people were made to act like dummies without enpowerment with
adequate training, mentoring with proper leadership. All good leaders
who could think straight and being strategic were isolated because of
politicisation of the system!
These are some of the challenges for the Minister of Public
Administration. Having known him for a long period of time and also
given his credentials, I have trust in him that he will be able to
energise the lethargic SLAS as soon as possible for greater productivity
throughout the economy.
Public servants should never be allowed to become political ponies
but they should be encouraged to become true leaders in their respective
pursuites.
SIRI GAMLATH
via email
On Saturday May 5 at 1015 hours I arrived at the Immigration Desk at
Colombo Airport. I was most disappointed at the surly and unfriendly
attitude of the Immigration Officer. He gave me the impression that I
was not welcome.
I have been a regular visitor to Colombo for many years and I have
always found that the Sri Lankan people are very hospitable, so I was
surprised at this attitude. I feel that if you wish to encourage
tourists to return, then there must be a more welcoming approach.
A. DUNLOP
I refer to the letter by D. D. Ranasinghe(DN May 5) under the above
caption. Mr. Ranasinghe’s suggestion that pensioners should be provided
with details of how the revised pensions were calculated is a most
valuable one.
This will be greatly appreciated by every pensioner. I wish to appeal
to our good Director of Pensions to implement this proposal.
With the computer facilities available, this will be a relatively
simple task.
Anyway pensioners would be more than willing to pay the cost. Also
similarly, whenever a change is made in the pension amount e.g. twice a
year when the cost of living is added, a print out may be sent to us
please.
I also wish to make another suggestion. The elderly pensioner like
myself, who are unable to visit the pension’s offices, should be able to
transact any business by letter and telephone.
I wish to submit that a sympathetic, senior officer should be
appointed whom we can call whenever we have a problem and who will
attend to the matter promptly and his name and telephone number be
announced through the media.
We have seen several letters of appreciation regarding the good work
of the pensions chief. We hope he will be able to make the entire
department, a model to all other service institutions in the country.
E. P.
Kotte
This is very elaborate information of the three forces and the police
handling the current situation. (Reference DN May 11).
No doubt you have won the confidence of the public by the victories
already achieved. May you succeed eventually in locating the LTTE
terrorists’ aircraft base and destroying it.
YAL SENARATNE
via email
Justice Udulagama has stated that ‘They will strive to ascertain the
whole truth’ (Reference DN May 16), while we see that in Matara, an
elderly father and his two sons, in their prime age have been hacked to
death over a family dispute that has not been resolved, despite the
matter remaining in court as well as several complaints being lodged to
the police!
Justice delayed is justice denied. If the State judiciary fails to
take this into account and resolve disputes expeditiously, people take
the law into their own hands.
Three more lives lost. Remember, someone has to pay for all these.
KUMARA SOYSA
via email
I was reading the article ‘The Right to Die’ by Dr. Keerthi
Jayasekera and agree - ‘Much in the same way we have a fundamental right
to live, we also have a right to die?’.
I am talking about myself and what I think. I am 52-year-old educated
(I have 3 degrees and two diplomas (all in 5 fields) woman, living
overseas for the last 14 years and have a professional job. I used to do
lots of voluntary work while in Sri Lanka and in Australia. enjoyed
cooking, sewing etc.
I was very independent until I got sick suddenly in the year 2000. I
was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition where doctors until now
could not find the reason for it.
My left hand and right leg became numb and have pins and needles
feeling all the time. Then in 2003, I had another bad relapse and my
right hand too became numb. I could not hold a pen and write a word or
could not walk 5 steps without assistance in 2003.
But I had the courage as previous time and with my positive attitude
towards my illness, I manage to go back to work within 6 weeks. Then I
decided to go part time. Again in November 2003, I fell down from a bus
and broke my ligaments on my good left knee and was away from work for
about four months.
The doctors could not proceed the knee reconstruction as I was on a
very high dose of some other medication for my neurological condition.
Doctors started reducing medication in order to perform the surgery in
June 2004.
What a luck! End of May 2004 I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer of my
left breast and a mastectomy done in July 2004. I went back to work 4
weeks after the mastectomy.
In May 2005, my knee reconstruction done finally and I had to learn
how to walk and again away for about 2 months.
Year 2006 passed without any major dramas and again I was diagnosed
with breast cancer of my right breast and going for a surgery next week
and chemo therapy.
Beside all these conditions with my medication I have developed other
health problems such as high eye pressure which resulted having
glaucoma, cholesterol, sugar etc. naming some.
With all these health issues I have regular appointments with
immunology clinic, neurology clinic, breast clinic, eye clinic and with
my family doctor. Every 3 weeks I have to go to hospital and have my
treatment for my neurological condition.
Since 2000, I am not driving and have to depend on another person for
that, otherwise I use public transport or a taxi. It’s difficult for me
to do most of the household work but I still do almost everything -
cooking, cleaning, washing etc. and look after my mother as well, other
than my own family. I go to work and still do some voluntary work too.
Since I got sick I have started doing lots of gardening.
But now I started thinking whether it’s worthwhile living like this.
I have a family and my daughter is in Year 12 and seen all the health
problems I was going through. I never let her suffer because of my
health. If I have to become totally depend on another person one day I
don’t know whether I could manage it.
I am wondering and worrying now. I don’t want to go to a disability
home or any other such place. I rather die but I don’t know how. (I am a
Crisis Counsellor and very often talking to women who wants to commit
suicide or want to take their lives for various reasons).
Why don’t I have a right to die? I do not want to be a burden to
anyone or totally dependent on anyone. I always tell my family love and
care for me now. No point of doing things for me to have good health in
my next life. I want to enjoy and have a happy, good life now. Not in my
next life. I am not a believer of Karma either.
I believe all these things happening to me for a purpose and I am
always thankful for all the good things I have in my life. Life is too
short, so I do my best to help any one who is in need even in a very
small way I could.
But I want to die definitely in case I have to depend on another
person and become helpless. I know this might happen in the near future
but I want to wait until my daughter goes to university. (She is a very
bright student) That’s the only hope I have to live and that’s all why I
am living.
Right now even though I have my Mastectomy next week I am still going
to work and do everything and I believe I am the most positive and
enjoyable person at my work. Believe me for 52 years with all these
health problems I am still very pretty and looks very young. My attitude
towards life help me to be my-self like this today.
The day I lose my independence is the day I lose my fundamental right
to live and strongly believe society, ethics, values whatever you name
it should allow us to decide whether we want to live longer or not. We
also have a right to die as I am the one who needs to control my own
life.
AJN
Australia
via email |
