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| Sunday, 25 August 2002 |
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Letters |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Please forward your letters to [email protected] in plain text format within the e-mail message, since as a policy we do not open any attachments.
I lost my identity card recently along with my two library tickets and the Municipal Dispensary clinic card. I was worried about the troubles I will have to undergo in obtaining a new card. I received a letter written in Sinhala from an establishment called UCD Brothers in Punchi Borella informing me that my identity card and other documents were in their possession and for me to call over and collect them. I went there taking some money also with me to reward the person who had picked up my identity card and give them if they demanded. The place was a boutique. There was a woman seated at the counter. When I gave her the letter she asked me whether there was any money in the cover of the identity card. I replied in the negative as I did not remember keeping any money in the cover. She told me that there was some money in the cover and pulled out a folded five hundred rupee note and gave it to me along with the identity card and other documents. I had completely forgotten about this money. The identity card, it seems, had been picked up by an employee of hers at Punchi Borella junction and had been handed over to her. The boy who picked up my identity card and the cover could have taken the money or the woman too could have taken the money and posted the identity card to me. They acted honestly giving me the documents and money. Honesty and integrity in people have to be appreciated and lauded especially when dishonesty is ruling almost everywhere. Arul, Colombo 13.
Accident Service - National Hospital Colombo the Accident Service of National Hospital Colombo is the primary emergency care unit in Sri Lanka. It is a great regret that at the moment there is an acute shortage of doctors. About five Medical Officers in the out-patients department are overstaying in the same place of work in spite of the fact that they are on transfer order for more than one year. The reason for their overstaying is lack of replacements. But it is a well-known fact that at least two or three medical officers report to the National Hospital every month, who are willing to work in the Accident Service. Another medical officer who has been appointed to cover-up the duties of a regular medical officer is a well-known psychiatric patient on drugs. This covering-up has been done to prevent new appointments. This situation has created a lot of frustration among other medical officers in this unit. We think the recent trouble (a medical officer getting assaulted by patients) was a result of this situation. This shortage of medical officers can lead to a similar situation if not corrected as soon as possible. Please be kind enough to look into this matter and prevent another disaster in the Accident Service of the Colombo National Hospital. Friends of Accident Service.
I am an avid reader of the daily and weekend papers and have had the experience of going through many public criticisms seething with discontent over the lethargic performance of public sector institutions specially the divisional secretariats. I have been highly critical in regard to the dismal performance, apathy and inertia prevalent in divisional secretariats. I have reiterated the fact that public servants who have enjoyed completely free primary, secondary and tertiary education as citizens must realise that they are first and foremost employees of the state paid out of public funds mandated to carry out public service. Recently I was compelled to shift my residence from Kiribathgoda to Matara. So, at my request, pension files of both myself and my spouse were transferred to the Matara Divisional Secretariat. The transfer of the pension files were delayed by two months by the respective divisional secretariats and I bore the inconvenience with equanimity and engaged myself in the battle of making ends meet due to the expensive drugs on which we exist. For the first time I received a reply to a letter from a government institution within four days and that was from the Matara Divisional Secretariat. Within three days my pension and my wife's pension were paid. This may be unbelievable yet it is true and I am in possession of documentary evidence to prove my statement. We should not only criticize and blame but also praise when it is due. So promptly, conveyed my deep debt of gratitude in writing to the divisional secretary, Matara, with a humble request to commend the clerical officer concerned (whom I do not know personally) who was mainly responsible in the benevolent exercise. This public tribute and encomium is on second thoughts as my overall impression and perception is that this particular institution is devoid of venal elements and that they are collectively bent on serving the public, the elders in particular as most pensioners are decrepit, stooped and gaunt with old age. To put it succinctly, there was an overwhelming abundance of humanity and caring pervading through all employees of the unit - the Pensions Branch. This country would certainly be a pleasant place to live in if other public servants follow this role model of a government Institution par excellence. Matara Divisional Secretariat is an exception to the rule. Other Divisional Secretariats please follow suit or cringe in the ostrich style. NANDA NANAYAKKARA, Matara.
The ETF members are indeed grateful to the new management of ETF, particularly the chairman for the higher rate of interest paid for the year 2001. Who knows for the year 2002 he might even match the highest interest paid by ETF, 15%. However, there is one aspect the new management need to look into. That is the interest payable to those members who withdrew their funds before the announcement of 11% interest. This category of members were deprived of the 11% interest for 2001 on funds lying to their credit. In view of the "fast track" introduced by the ETF, many were able to obtain their refunds early. Had these refunds been processed at normal speed they would have been credited with 11% interest. Needless to say it is not the intention of the ETF management to take advantage of the members who paid Rs. 1000 to process their refunds within two days. It would be a fitting response to their critics if ETF were to pay this arrears of interest on their own, without the affected members having to make individual appeals. A press notice in this regard would be most welcome. C. B. Gazer.
144th anniversary of Sri Lanka Railways On the 3rd of August, Sri Lanka Railways (former CGR) completed 144 years of service to the nation. As an ex-raiwayman with over 35 years of service and my connection with the department running to over sixty years, being a son of an ex-railwayman, I wish to pen a few historical facts that I have gathered from the Centenary Year Book - "The Ceylon Railways", which I presume would be of value to the younger generation and also the general public who may not be aware of how the railway was developed by the Britishers at that time. The first sod was cut on August 3, 1858 by Governor Sir Henry Ward. The first rain conveyed the Duke of Brabant to Ambepussa from Colombo and back on 27th December 1864. The line up to Ambepussa was officially opened for traffic on 2nd October 1865. In 1866, Mahara (Ragama), Heneratgoda (Gampaha) and Veyangoda stations were completed. The line up to Polgahawela was opened for traffic on 1st November 1866. The first Service train steamed up the incline to Kadugannawa on 20th March 1867. The first train from Colombo to Kandy ran on 26th April 1867. The line upto Gampola was opened for traffic on 15th January 1873. The line up to Nawalapitiya was completed on 1st December 1874, and was next extended up to Talawakelle in 1884, and to Nanu Oya in 1885. The branch line from Nanu Oya to Ragala (which was known as the Uda Pussellawa Railway) was completed in 1904. (This line is not in existence now). The construction of the line up to Bandarawela was completed and opened for traffic in September 1894. The Badulla extension was completed and opened by Sir William Manning on 5th February 1924, which completed the construction of the Main Line. The Matale line extension was started on 28th June 1877, and was opened for traffic on 4th October 1880. On the coast line, the line was extended from Colombo to Moratuwa in the first instance and opened for traffic on 1st March 1877. The line was next extended up to Panadura and opened for traffic on 1st September 1877. The line was then extended up to Kalutara on 22nd September 1879, Alutgama in 1890 and Ambalangoda in 1893. The extension of coast line was also made in stages, and finally the railway line to Matara was opened to the public on 17th December 1895. The survey on the Kelani Valley Railway was carried out in 1896, and construction was completed and traffic commenced up to Ratnapura on 18th April, 1912 and to Opanayake in 1919. On the Northern Line, the Polgahawela - Anuradhapura line was completed on 1st November 1903 and later on, the line was linked to Kankesanturai by 1905. The Talaimannar line was surveyed in 1908, and the construction work was completed and the line was opened for traffic on 24th February 1914. The duplication of the main line up to Rambukkana was completed in October 1926 and coast line duplication way completed up to the Panadura bridge in September 1933. The Puttalam line was opened up to Negombo in 1909 and then to Chilaw in 1916 and finally extended to Puttalam in May 1926. Surveys on the Maho - Batticaloa - Trincomalee railway was carried out in March 1920. The track up to Gal Oya Junction was completed by 1926 and reached Trincomalee by 1927. The branch line to Batticaloa reached Polonnaruwa in 1926 and finally to Batticaloa by 1928. A number of branch lines and major sidings have also been laid to serve factories and installations in keeping with the development projects in the country. Surveys too had been conducted between Bandarawela and Passara and for a branch line from Dehiwela to Horana. However, both these lines have not been opened. Also the trace to Hambantota through Tangalle had been surveyed in 1922 and estimates submitted to the then government. However, the construction did not take place due to lack of funds. Lionel L. Leanage, (Retd. A.O.) ,Ambalangoda.
Patients' plight at Eye Hospital Some time back defective sight in old age had compelled me to seek treatment at the Eye Hospital Colombo. I was appalled at the large crowds who come there for treatment. The queues were long and winding, almost up to the gate. I was despondent and looked around but to spot an old friend, who had already entertained the thought, like me, to come some other day. However, on meeting me, we both decided to make it a date with the doctor even late evening. We joined the queue waiting there, on second thought, I inquired whether my friend too had a Senior Citizen's Identity Card that would entitle us to gain entry sans the queue. Armed with these Identity cards we walked resolutely up to the entry clerk's desk. Within minutes we obtained the admission chits, the biggest hurdle was over. Yet sympathetically I looked back at the queue with a sigh, conscience of the fact that these patients had come here in the wee hours of the morning, from distant places, even perhaps foregoing their morning tea! Not all these patients looked approvingly at us though. My friend, a person of the old school, asked me in English to hurry up. However, to our discomfiture, there sprang a minor skirmish. A much younger pseudo-political firebrand, probably resenting the anglicized mannerism of my companion, had referred to him as a 'Chaminda'. My friend who had lived abroad for some years, was offended by this. I assured my friend that it was a common name of address, and, more a term of endearment. May I suggest that the hospital authorities, cause a notice that those in possession of Elders' Identity Cards, are exempt from joining the queue. STANLEY GEEVARATNE, Dehiwala.
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