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| Sunday, 13 January 2002 |
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Perks even after the 'Last Post' by Gamarala There is something very rotten in the state of Denmark - unless, of course, some of our newspapers are as usual, lying! Else, how do you explain these things - educated, respected, respectable leaders of our society stooping as low as they seem to do to save a few hundred or few thousand rupees at the expense of the poor taxpayer. Take, for instance, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Kadirgamar who, a newspaper said the other day, left with his wife on a holiday in Kandy and stayed at what used to be called the King's Pavilion. No exception was taken to his going on holiday. Exception was taken to his using ten state cars on Dec 26 long after he had ceased to be foreign minister. It seems a petrol bill of nearly Rs. 20,000 had to be met by the Foreign Ministry. Mr. Kadirgamar, says the paper, continues to enjoy a long list of perks available to only ministers in office. I don't know how well informed the newspaper is regarding the use of the perks. Assuming the newspaper is right, surely Mr. Kadirgamar could have driven to Kandy in ten cars under his own steam, as it were, Rs. 20,000 for petrol surely was chicken feed to him and he must have incurred several times that amount travelling as a private citizen. Mr. Kadirgamar, an ex-President of the Oxford Union, a rare distinction and a man of means (I guess) hardly did himself credit by his exploit. Then there was General Ratwatte, if he had not the advantages Mr. Kadirgamar had, is considered to be well-born, as we say - an aristo as the French revolutionaries disparagingly described them on their way to the guillotine. And, says the same newspaper, on December 8 last year when had ceased to be a minister he travelled with a family entourage of 18 travelled to Colombo by helicopter by courtesy of the Air Force and it is suspected that among them were two sons of his, hiding from the police looking for them in connection with some murders. The police can often turn a blind eye. The General has a precedent of sorts in Germany. The Defence Minister used the country's Air Force 1 to visit his inamorata running up a huge bill. I think he paid up but whether he resigned I am not sure. In the case of Gen. Ratwatte there is of course no question of his resigning. We have a right to expect better of the two men. But in my book even more culpable are the sycophants who could not say 'no' to even ex-ministers. So much has the public service, once the pride of the country, deteriorated. |
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