March 20 marked the 74th birth anniversary of Gamini Dissanayake March 20:

Leader, mentor, Manager and friend

My association with Gamini Dissanayake dates since his assumption of duties in 1977 as the Minister of Irrigation, Power and Highways. The Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau (CECB), where I had joined in the mid-1970s, was a statutory body gazetted under the Ministry of Irrigation, Power and Highways. In 1978, with the decision by J.R. Jayewardene, Prime Minister to accelerate the Mahaweli Development Program for full implementation as a multi-purpose 30 years, the Ministry of Mahaweli Development was created along with the Ministry of Lands and Lands Development. There was accordingly, a reallocation of subjects of the former Irrigation Power Irrigation, power generation and downstream development agricultural project in 6 years, instead of and Highways Ministry between the newly created Ministry of Mahaweli Development and the Ministry of Lands and Lands Development and the relocation of other Departments, Corporations and Boards under these 2 ministries considered strategically important; to execute the work, fast tracked for the Accelerated Mahaweli Development Program.

Interaction

It was from 1978, that my 'association' with Gamini Dissanayake, evolved to one of 'interaction'. The CECB was an Engineering Consultancy Organisation. We were tasked to provide engineering support as the "Sri Lankan Consultant" for the Mahaweli Development Program Head works in all its aspects of Civil, Electrical and Electro-mechanical Engineering. In simple terms, while the ministry and reputed foreign consultancy firms and contractors under either Donor or Aid programs conceptualised, planned, designed, invited and evaluated international and local birds, awarded tenders, implemented civil, electrical, electro-mechanical construction, commissioned and operated dams and related installations, we the CECB was the local consultant. Therefore, our workload and responsibilities were both demanding, extremely heavy and burdened with delivery schedules and responsibilities. We had Dr. A.N.S. Kulasinghe, one of Sri Lanka's renowned Engineers as the Chairman, and staffed by engineers like G.G. Jayawardhane, H.B. Jayasekera and G.B. Palipane to mention a few of the top men in the apex.

Task

This preamble was necessary to pre-phrase the task ahead. The Mahaweli Program, to succeed, demanded a confluence of the contributions of the personnel and expertise of several departments. To name a few, the Survey Department for the all land and topographic surveys, Land Department for physical land release, Forest Department, Irrigation Department and Mahaweli Development Board for all downstream activities.

It also demanded capable, hard-working and honest Project Directors and supporting staff and Gamini's selections were the most appropriate. Added to this was a dimension which was hitherto unknown to Sri Lanka, in massive proportions. That was the advent of a new cultural and professional dynamic of expatriate consultants, contractors and technocrats of various nationalities, British, Swedish, German, Canadian, Japanese, Italian, French ext, practically from every corner of the development world descending on us in great numbers with multi dimensional, professional expertise and egos with their own schedules and plans. Most of them claimed superior knowledge. However, we engineers in Sri Lanka also possessed superior professional knowledge thanks to our universities and academic institutions and our ancient agro-Irrigation civilisation.

At the helm of all this multi-faceted activity was a youthful man, who, we first viewed with curiosity, as to how he would cope and manage, and then collectively came to realise as a Leader, Mentor, Manager, Worker, Companion and Friend rolled into a single personality. That was Gamini Dissanayake.

This was heavy and demanding work. The Mahaweli Ministry building, housing the Mahaweli Ministry, Land Ministry, Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka and CECB virtually never slept. Particularly so, our organisation the CECB. One could see lights burning overnight in some rooms because while our local work carried us into the night, our international interactions with foreign consultants and contractors' main offices abroad had to span different time and geographic zones. This was a new learning curve to all of us. Those were times a Minister had to immerse himself nearly 80% of his time, in Ministry activities. So, how did Gamini cope? Was he present from 6.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m. in the Ministry?

That was the first lesson to all of us budding engineers and managers. Gamini Dissanayake like his multi-faceted Mahaweli Project was also multi-faceted personality. He worked diligently, was a voracious reader of any type of book, history, fiction, governance and politics, travelled extensively on official circuit programs to monitor work done plus leisure travel that he enjoyed very much with family and friends, recreation, socialising and interaction. So this was our glimpse to observe and learn how to be both effective and efficient.

Reading

Gamini was not a habitually early riser. His morning was leisurely starting with speed reading of all newspapers at home and making telephone calls for the main business of the day. There were days he never visited the Ministry. So, we learnt about having a good Team and the effectiveness of 'Delegation'. Gamini's dictum was, a decision can be made anywhere, irrespective of his presence in office or outside - you call me, I will respond, but first, I have reposed in all my department heads and managers' authority, trust and confidence to make a decision when called upon to do so, without passing the buck. And above all, even a decision which may turn out to be not the best later will be supported, if it was an exigency. So all of us learnt a management lesson of decision-making by delegation, and seeking higher authority only if necessary, giving each tier the freedom to concentrate in their work and excel. The ministers intervention therefore was only on essentials. This is a legacy we still carry.

Diverse people staffed the two Ministries. There were Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Foreigners, Communities, Socialists, SLFPers, UNPers, you name them, and we had them. When I look at the fabric of the public sector today, I am sad when I see segmentation. During our Mahaweli Days, such differences did not exist at work or professionally. Gamini's leadership culture was the 'great equaliser'. All of us had a single focus - 'Get the job done'. Now when we meet each other occasionally the unspoken bond is 'Got the job done'.

His personality was outgoing and whenever an appreciation was due it was spontaneous, it could happen in a lift while meeting him with a "well done" or a mention at a staff meeting. He never hesitated to admit a mistake or to say sorry.

Engineer

I remember a remarkable incident one late morning in a working day. There were two passenger lifts in the Mahaweli Ministry Building. Out of these two, one had been stopped on the 11th floor as somebody had told the lift operator that the Minister had to leave urgently. In the meantime Dr. Kulasinghe, the Chairman of the CECB with his office in the 7th floor had arrived in the lift lobby at the ground floor of the building to reach his office floor. Dr. Kulasinghe was the iconic engineer who was the doyen of the Engineering Fraternity of Sri Lanka.

He too, by virtue of his position, claimed a stake to nearly 5 floors of the Mahaweli Building.

The other lift was getting delayed. Dr. Kulasinghe was fuming, both for having to wait and perhaps when he learnt that the other lift was temporarily 'Reserved'. He remained in the lobby and made his displeasure known in no uncertain terms.

The Minister got to know this because the security staff members were the first victims of the Doctor's ire and they called the Minister. Bad news travels fast.

We engineers too got to know this within seconds that a show down was imminent. So, most of us slowly walked down the stars and were peeping to see the action.

Down came the other lift and out walks Gamini Dissanayake with the most enchanting smile and 'Doctor I've been waiting to catch you for lunch for some time, shall we proceed'. That was the spontaneity of the man and his charm. Dr. Kulasinghe remained one of his trusted friends and lieutenants for many years and illustrated to us that one can still walk into a tight situation if one has both a plan and charm.

The Mahaweli Program kept to its 6 year target. The staff selected by Gamini based on efficiency and honesty and given a free hand delivered observing government rules and procedures. It was said by many from the private sector who interacted with the Ministries, the expatriates and staff members that the culture and efficiency of both the Mahaweli Ministry and the Land Ministry was akin or surpassed the private sector. Any meeting had its Minutes circulated within one hour of the conclusion of the event. The Minister and his officials not only insisted but tracked the decisions and follow up meticulously.

All accounting of the head works projects were done under the CECB. When asked why an engineering organisation was entrusted with this responsibility Gamini replied that CECB had an efficient organised accounts section which would safeguard him. He added with a smile that once when he got an urgent photocopy done at the CECB it was followed by a bill.

Performance

Gamini realised very early that the performance of Engineers could be enhanced, if, Management capacity was inculcated to our work ethic. This was a time when most professionals in our arena were academically proficient, but low in management skills. He therefore, propagated in all tiers of hierarchy the need to develop management skills of engineers by exposure and training. By working for Mahaweli, he wanted all young engineers to professional benefit by being exposed to the Project expertise and experience of working with foreign contractors and consultants and thereby, enhancing the resource base of the future generations of engineers. The message both to hierarchy and professionals down the line was that 'it was not seniority but competence that earned professional rewards'. These engineers now hold responsible positions in state sector, private sector and in organisations abroad. Nihal Rupasinghe, the present Secretary in the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment is the best example to illustrate the outcome of the engineers worked with minister, Dissanayake.

He was a devoted Buddhist. He single handedly responsible for the commencement of Mahaweli Maha seya, the Golden Fence for the Astamaha Bodhi at Kataragama and many more temples in Sri Lanka.

As, I have confined myself to my professional area in interaction, all of the above has not touched upon his contribution to Sri Lanka at large.

The successful implementation of the Mahaweli Development Program alone has resulted in bringing under intensive cultivation, the paddy lands that feed our population today. Gamini Dissanayake's contributions in Parliament as a speaker with researched and productive content, his contribution to cricket in achieving Test status for Sri Lanka and subsequent development of Cricket Administration by both the restructuring of the Board of Control of Cricket and the founding of the Cricket Foundation to foster talent outside Colombo, his contribution towards reforms in Irrigation & Water Management practices, Land Use Planning, Remote Sensed Satellite Mapping, are areas where volumes could be written.

I wish to end this article by stating that we were fortunate to know and benefit from a momentous personality whose mark on the fabric of Sri Lanka is indelible.

- Engineer Nihal Sooriyarachchi.