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| Sunday, 4 December 2005 |
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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.
Our expatriates working in the Gulf States send us an enormous amount of foreign exchange. We have heard of woeful tales of housemaids working in the Middle East who had been harassed mentally and physically and even maimed while some have come back in coffins. Some women who had the ability to come home after being brutally harassed had found themselves fallen from the frying pan into the fire, as their families had been broken up in their absence. The authorities should see that advertisements and letterheads of every foreign employment companies should display conspicuously a warning that foreign employment for women is dangerous. by P.A Binduhewa, Jesus Christ was born in a stable in Bethlehem on December 25 and his birth anniversary is celebrated all over the world. Charles Dickens one of the great novelists (1812-1870) produced and wrote very interesting and fact finding genuine instances including the book entitled 'Christmas carol' which has been dramatised every year. Charles Dickens was trained as a stenographer and lawyers' clerk and the various chapters in Christmas carol highlight the fact that his chief concern was the effect of moral evil, crime and corruption in society, he began his literary career in London as contributor under the pseudonym 'Boz'. Christians in Sri Lanka celebrate this event in grand style by sending christmas cards and singing carols and the gifting of toys, goodies and bon-bons in christmas stockings to children by Santa Claus. Almost every christian home has a christmas tree with coloured lights to celebrate the event. It may also be stated that during the festival season that span at least one week five star hotels earn enough money and reservations command tickets that add up to almost a grant total of almost Rs. 10,000 for each individual including dinner, liquor, dancing and refreshments till dawn. There is a moral that is interwoven in the novel entitled christmas carol which focus on the rich and elite to help the poor people in the first instance. Lastly, it may be stated that there are enough radio and T.V. channels that could dramatise and explain to the public in Sri Lanka the moral values in the literary work entitled christmas carol. by Earl R. de Zoysa, Labour Minister Athauda Senevirathna is in the process of bringing a proposal to allow the withdrawal of the EPF balance before the mandatory retirement age of workers. This is a welcome move, which would ease the financial debt burdens of some workers, who mortgage their properties to obtain loans to buy or renovate their houses, etc. There are several workers, who resign their jobs in Sri Lanka prematurely and go abroad for work, as their meagre earnings here, does not meet to repay their debts. Therefore, it will be a great relief, if the minister would consider the pathetic plight of these middle class categories of workers and allow them to repay their balance loans, through their existing EPF balances, as they are, now no more contributors to the EPF. by M. M. A. Barie, The Ministry of Health which has a track record of making foolish decisions has decided to close the Eye Unit at Base Hospital, Puttalam. From early nineteen sixties the residents in and around Puttalam had the services of a weekly eye clinic. From the eighties the services were upgraded and a permanent Eye Surgeon was appointed to Base Hospital, Puttalam. In 1991 the Sri Lanka Eye Foundation built a 16 bed, eye ward with an attached air-conditioned operating theatre at Puttalam. Later Lions District 306 B spent a vast amount of funds and constructed an outpatient department. In 2004 the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) donated equipment worth Rs. 1 million to the same Unit (an 'A' scan and a keratometer) Now in all its wisdom the 'sick giant' at Suvasiripaya has decided to close a fully equipped, functioning unit manned by a Consultant Ophthalmologist. What is more surprising is that Base Hospital, Panadura which has no infrastructure or equipment is being opened. Both stations are categorised as BHA (Base Hospital - Grade A) The Western Province with 5.4 million people will now enjoy the services of 17 Eye Surgeons whereas Wayamba with 2.2 million will end up with just 2 Surgeons. Where is the logic behind this move. CRS I am a client of Commercial Bank (CB), Kotahena branch and I am proud to be one after witnessing an incident at the branch on November 10, 2005. While I was waiting for my turn to draw money at the counters of the Savings Branch, an elderly pensioner who was standing in front of me collapsed and fell on the floor. The staff members immediately gathered around and sprayed water on the face of the patient. Matter was informed to the main branch manager who rushed in and ordered that the patient be carried safely into a room, where he was made to lie on the office table, his shirt was removed and a fan was moved towards him and I saw the manager consoling the patient with words that would comfort him. Within minutes the matter was informed to the relatives and the relatives came and removed the patient to the hospital. Well done the staff of the Commercial Bank Kotahena, Savings Branch, you are very courteous indeed. by Sivalingam, Being a resident of Saman Mawatha, Nawala Road, Nugegoda from 1985 to 2004, I had the convenience of carrying out my transactions at the Commercial Bank, on Nawala Road, close to Saman Mawatha. This establishment was situated, not in a thickly populated area and with a few shops too. I recently came to reside at Depanama and have keenly observed the area at Pannipitiya, which is a couple of kilometres from my residence. Pannipitiya is highly commercialised, with brisk business taking place there daily. The junction at Moraketiya on High Level Road, Pannipitiya, is an ideal place to establish a branch of the Commercial Bank. This area is very populated with many shops and other businesses around and if a Commercial Bank is set-up in this place, I have no doubt, it will be well patronised as business people and others would start opening accounts to save their hard earned monies and the Bank too will benefit immensely. Opening a Commercial Bank in this area is of paramount importance. by Gamunu Dias Jayasinghe, It's now or never for the Sri Lankans. Mahinda Rajapakse is the only horizon one can expect of in a few generations to come with whom the left and the right, the rich and the poor and different communities including religions will fully secure harmony and justice while corruption will breathe its last breath. The masses in this country have now fully realised the fruitlessness of rivalry by way of party politics where the majority are poor. The entire left wing with the lead role of JVP and Hela Urumaya have been vastly instrumental in this regard to clearly demarcate the difference and this wisely and timely move has driven the last nail in the coffin. Nothing can be gained through rivalry and time is now ripe to achieve things cooperatively and truthfully under the new regime, not only for the present but for a period far and far beyond, in order to uplift the standard of living of all citizens, irrespective of cast and creed in this country inherited with exceptional resources. by H. N. Wimeleratne, It has been announced that the new President, Mahinda Rajapakse, will be submitting a new Budget in Parliament on 08.12.2005. I would like to submit to the President that he should, as a matter of priority, provide measures to bring down the cost of living in order to alleviate the tremendous hardships endured by all the people. One of the ways to do that is to see that the government machinery works properly. During the early part of this year the bank to which I get my pension changed my account number and I wrote to the pension department giving the new account number and asking them to enter that number in my pension voucher. It was not done for more than three months. I had to go personally to the department hiring a three-wheeler spending over Rs. 200 by which my cost of living for that month went up. This is a minor matter, no doubt, which I have brought only as an example to show the speed at which government departments work. But this is how the ordinary man is made to spend his money when he has dealings with government departments. People are spending and have been spending thousand of rupees to get a small matter done which could be done in a few days and through letters. Government servants are the real kingmakers by their default in their service, by bringing unpopularity to the government in power. by Arul, One of the most urgent problems is to save our youth from the clutches of greedy money makers who run all sorts of so-called 'night spots' where the youth are lured into bad habits - smoking, drinking, drugs and sex. They are run under very elusive names and the youth -both girls and boys flock into them regardless of parental objections peer pressure surpasses all parental reasoning. Initially it may be bad parenting but the present situation is that most parents are unable to control their children. Can't the state come to the rescue of these parents by legal means? Can't the religious leaders, statesmen, and others who cry for a 'Dharmista' society and lament the deterioration of our culture and values get into action without limiting themselves to mere words often spoken over the media. Dear President, consider the youth of your country as your own. A concerned citizen |
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