Over to you CEOs of all banks and Central Bank

Some banks thoughtfully offer senior citizens over the age of sixty years a small 2 per cent increase on the annual rate of interest on fixed deposits, thus generating them a monthly income.

(a). Our gallant service personnel unhesitatingly sacrifice their precious arms, legs, even eyes and often lives to save Mother Lanka from the ferocious octopus - 'terrorism'.

There is provision for these disabled heroes to retire from active service before they reach sixty years of age. For very many of them and their families, the interest generated from depositing in banks portions of lump sum payments then received, forms the main steady source of income to continue fighting lifetime for their survival.

This month of May we have dedicated to paying tributes to their continuing heroic vigilant efforts round the clock. I propose that these esteemed personnel also on retirement although yet not sixty years old, be afforded this 2 per cent increase in the rate of interest on FDs. It is a more meaningful way we could touch their lives and appreciate their gallant efforts.

(b). Heartbreaking articles like those of Roshantha Fernando in the Daily News of Saturday, May 26, highlight the callousness of many employers towards the disabled. But this is only the tip of the iceberg.

An increasing sector of our disabled youth, especially wheelchair users and others who are physically impaired, now face the grievous problem of sudden unemployment, in spite of the merit, ability and competence they still possess.

Absence of accessible public transport forces them to hire taxis. Absence of access facilities to key buildings forces them to hire the services of people to attend to their needs in daily life. These incur unwanted additional expenditure they are forced to meet.

At least until the State meet these high priority human rights in making available the basic access facilities, may I also propose that 'banks' extend this 2 per cent increase on interest to Disabled who as a direct result of sudden physical incapacity, become unemployed and continuous to remain so.

(c). The quality of life even our gallant disabled war heroes (and thus their families) could enjoy depends heavily on the extent to which they can independently attend to daily life in civil society. Accessibility is a high priority and the most essential prerequisite here. Its absence is a humiliating stumbling block, even to the disabled soldiers and their families.

Banks are one of the key public buildings even the disabled often need to access physically. How many of their Teller Machines are accessible to senior citizens? Banks have forgotten that the rapidly increasing number of senior citizens and the disabled, form a big potential group of their customers.

They should remember that, sadly, many a reputed architect and engineer here, are still not truly competent at designing for inclusion. Also a set of access guidelines applied at one branch, if foolishly used at another branch, may not serve the purpose well enough.

It must be Banks' moral duty to empathetically modify 'truly' their built environments to warmly welcome all, especially the heroic disabled soldiers and families.

June 07th is the day we dedicate to them. We believe the 'Finance Ministry' and the 'Central Bank Governor' should soon take effective measures on all three issues raised here and implement them on this day, please.

DR. AJITH C. S. PERERA, Dehiwala

Over to you Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs

This is the second or third visit to the Vajira Road, Colombo 4 Department of Registrar of Births. I handed over an application to get two originals of a birth certificate on January 29, 2007, but when I went to the department on May 8 (after 4 months) it was still not ready. When I inquired from the office they told me to check in the record room.

They were supposed to post it because all applicants have to hand over a self-addressed stamped envelope at the counter.

It's absurd, the posting was not done and it had been handed over to the record room.

There was only one gent who handled this section and there was a large crowed, no queue. The receipt was taken over by him.

There is no space to put your hand to handover the receipt, only a finger can go in). After handing over the receipt, I had to wait for more than 4 hours to get the birth certificate, which had already taken more than 4 months.

There is a board put up Pamawata Thitha. But the people in the crowd were cursing because most of them had sent in applications very early and they had not received the certificates.

Some even complained to the Additional Registrar, but the excuse he gave was that there is only one person to work there at the counter, why don't they have additional staff?

It is high time that this department work is looked into by the relevant authorities and the Minister.

A WORRIED APPLICANT, Raddolugama