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| Sunday, 18 January 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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The pensioner's resort : A haven for the retired by Jayanthi Liyanage
Retiring from service often ushers in a different set of cares for the pensioner, who must ply back and forth from the capital city, for documenting purposes related to the pension. Unless there is a family member in Colombo, such brief stays at a hotel, motel or guest house could be at variance with the moderate rates, comfort, safety and decorum a retired man or woman may seek. The Pensioner's Resort, the construction of which has just been completed at Vedamulla, Kelaniya, is the response by the Ministry of Public Administration, Management and Reforms, to such requirements.
It is located in a very spacious and secluded, four acre re-filled block of land, a ten minutes drive away from the Kelaniya Bridge and interior from the Colombo-Kandy Road. The Resort, on one side, offers four single bedroom chalets, three double bed room chalets and a 20 room dormitory type block for pensioners and their families travelling to Colombo for official matters, or to have a brief respite in the capital city. These come inclusive of the facilities related to residential activity - a library, a dining hall and a kitchen, and an entertainment block inclusive of a small shop and a snack bar. The entertainment block provides for TV viewing, recreation and indoor games such as table tennis and carrom. Amidst these is a pergola, open to the skies, where the senior guests can sit and exchange pleasantries. On the other side, it offers a public area consisting of a multi-purpose hall built with a platform and a medical centre. "This will be an ideal venue to bring together pensioners who have grown apart after retirement in get-togethers and festive functions," comments Dr. Dayananda Waduge, Consultant Architect, who designed the resort complex, constructed by J.B. Attanayake Construction Co. from the Ministry funds. "They can even have weddings or parties here. The accommodation can hold about 100 people and added to that, they can also use the spacious garden area." The dining complex can be adapted into a restaurant when the need arises.
Although the decision on whether to hand over the management of the resort complex to a private enterprise is yet to be taken and furnishing of the complex is yet to be undertaken, the fact that a resort of this type has come up could be good news to numerous pensioners' associations activated on easing the travails of the Sri Lankan pensioner. For, as expressed by Dr. Waduge, "Pensioners who are a good resource for the country, cannot become a force in isolation. As there will be no categorisation, retired government servants of all levels could meet here on equal grounds, which is also a good thing." Government pensioners registered at the Department of Pensions become eligible to use the resort facilities. A single bed room chalet has a bed room with an attached toilet, a sitting area and a pantry which needs to be equipped with the kitchen equipment. The double bed room chalets offer more space. "Even hot water geysers will be available," says Dr. Waduge. "For a little extra payment, luxury can be had." Though the rooms are not air-conditioned, foliage and coolness in the surrounding area render air-conditioning un necessary. The possibility of accommodating wheel-chaired guests too is being considered. "Kelaniya has a long relationship with clay work and I picked this colour concept to construct the complex with an earthy theme of green, brown and black, to create a modern outlook for the pensioners. I played with the roof to match the green of the trees coming up in the garden," Dr. Waduge explained the rationale behind the green pitched roofs and the exposed brown brickwork. it supports the impression of a gentle gradient of roof, wall, layered steps and tarred floors, rendering the facility more amenable to the older people. The modern facade of the complex is meant to raise the spirit of pensioners who, though they belong to the senior generation, should be proud of their standing in society, remarks Dr. Waduge. Trees dotting the grass terraces of the residential section have just begun to come up. The result is an ambience where the senior guests could spend their evening on the garden benches, enjoying the relaxation the quiet environment could bring. "The outdoor lighting along the avenues could afford a sense of direction to the senior guests in the night and direct them where to go." As is essential for a residency of senior citizens, the medical centre offers Ayurvedic and western medical facilities though not on a very extensive basis. A medical practitioner, who could probably drawn from the retired cadre, is an essential component of the complex for senior guests who are under regular medication, or in an emergency of heart trouble or other illnesses. He could also direct any ailing guest elsewhere for further medication."Some of the staff for the complex could be drawn from pensioners," comments Dr. Waduge. "Probably, retired people could be employed in the administrative staff." The Pensioners' Resort will be run on a service-oriented basis, emphasises Dr. Waduge. "If private management of the complex is contracted, it is not for profit-making but to guarantee its self-sustenance in an efficient and economical manner. The rates will not look to recover the costs of construction but only the costs of running the resorts." Though the complex is built on land re-filled over ten years ago by Sri Lanka Land and Reclamation Board, the land is now quite settled, assures Dr. Waduge. "We have built above the flood level and the chances of the land being flood prone is very low." "This is not 5-star luxury but luxury at low-cost," Dr. Waduge captures the essence of the Pensioner's Resort in a nut shell. "Perhaps, for about 40 per cent less than what you pay at a general resort, you can obtain a comfortable stay here." The complex, mostly confined to the ground level to provide better accessibility to senior guests, is a concept well worth expanding, to meet the requirements of such special segments of citizens. Enquiries on the resort complex can be made at the Ministry of Public Administration, Management and Reforms. |
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