PC and PS officials should be efficient and incorruptible

The objective of setting up Provincial Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas in our country is to accelerate development activities at village level. In addition, the Government expected to provide infrastructure facilities to villagers and also to start job orientation programs to fulfil the aspirations of village youth.

When the Sunday Observer sought the views of people on the progress of Provincial Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas, a registered licensed surveyor and the General Secretary of the Surveyors’ Institute of Sri Lanka, Saliya Wickramasinghe insisted the Government should re-introduce the `Ward system’ that existed earlier.

“Under the `Ward system’ concept, people could elect educated decision-makers without considering their political background to serve their respective areas,” he said.

Quoting an example, he said that technical officers (TOs), working in local bodies are elected through political parties and they are designated for approving of plans.

“But, the majority of those persons lack knowledge of the legal enactments governing ownership, utilisation and management of land, and as a result some important decisions related to plans being

sub-optimal.

Wickramasinghe is also a member of the Kolonnawa Urban Council and wanted the Provincial Council to increase the currently allocated funds to construct village roads as well as to privide other infrastructure facilities.

He said people in the area blame the Urban Council without knowing that the area construction work is done by the Council from the funds sent by the Provincial Council (PC).

“When the PC does not send the required funds, no work can be completed,”. Mayor of the Minuwangoda Urban Council, Wasantha Kumara Jayasinghe

said that various development activities including road construction in the area cannot be completed in time due to the long delay of receiving funds from the Western Provincial Council (WPC).

He said under such circumstances the Council would never be able to carry out the expected tasks before the month of December 31, which is the deadline of each financial year”.

The Mayor also requested the Public Administration Ministry to appoint experienced, educated and efficient secretaries to Local Government bodies in future, so that the Councils could be run without any hindrance, with knowledgable officials.

He further said the Government should establish a training centre to train secretaries, so that only efficient officials could be selected from among them appointed to Local bodies as secretaries. Businessman, Wasantha Ranasinghe who owns a fish stall at Wellampitiya blamed the Western Provincial Council for not listening to the grievances of vegetable, fish and meat stall owners in the area.

“Although we discussed our grievances with the Kolonnawa UC authorities, they reject our proposals on the grounds that the market comes under the purview of the Western Provincial Council. He said no member of the WPC ever visited them to see the pathetic environmental conditions of the Kolonnawa market.

Ex-Principal of Wanduramba Maha Vidyalaya wanted the Local Government Ministry to introduce proposals to eliminate corrupt officials in both PCs and Pradeshiya Sabbas, as they have to be bribed to attend to the needs of poor people.

Quoting an example, he said his son is engaged in land sales and he has to give a commission to certain prominent PC members in respect of every block of land he sells.

Vegetable vendor, Padmalatha Priyani of the Kolonnawa market requested the authorities to construct new buildings and renovate roads in the market remises, so that people will be able to buy their stuff without any difficulties.

She said although the authorities come to collect taxes in time, they never take steps to renovate the dilapidated buildings to enable

them to carry out business activities smoothly.

Manager of a Musical band, Priyantha Kottegoda of Negombo said that some local authorities were in the habit of demanding money in addition to the Government taxes when conducting musical shows in some areas.

He said if money was not given, the local authorities would not permit them to hold musical shows in their areas and asked the authorities to stop such things.

Banker, Gemunu Hewapathirana of Ambepussa said there were a lot of state owned uncultivated lands in his area and he took a few poor families to the Chairman of the Provincial Council with the objective of obtaining his authority to cultivate the lands and also to start poultry farms.

“Although, the Chairman said he would bring the matter to the attention of other members at the monthly meeting, he did not do so,”

He therefore, urged the Local Government Ministry to direct all PCs and PSs in the country to grant state owned uncultivated lands to needy people on temporary basis, so that they could help the Government’s cultivation drive.

Businessman, D. Krishantha of Borella said although taxes are collected by the PC every month, they do not take any interest to provide better places to carry out their business activities.

Schoolteacher Kanishka Medagedara of Wathupitiwela, Nittambuwa said that two village roads in her area were badly damaged due to recent rains and informed the Chairman of the respective Pradeshiya Sabha to renovate them, since some private bus operators too stopped their regular services from last week.

Unfortunately, the Chairman said that the necessary funds were not available to fulfil my request,”.