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| Sunday, 15 February 2004 |
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Letters |  |
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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.
We refer to the letter under above caption, which appeared in Sunday Observer of December 14 by I. Lekamwasam Liyanage. Electricity supply to consumers in LECO operational areas would be interrupted due to three main factors: 1. LECO planned interruptions CEB operates systems at 33 kV and above. These systems supply the LECO systems at 11 kV and below. Ambalangoda town is served from LECO 11kV distribution system, fed from Ambalangoda 33kV Primary substation. This primary substation was receiving power from Bataduwa (Galle) grid substation. The interruptions experienced recently have been due to faults and interruptions in this system. However, after completion of augmentation of Mathugama Grid Substation by CEB, the source supply to Ambalangoda Primary Substation has now been transferred to Mathugama Grid Substation, and the reliability of supply in the area has improved considerably. We are pleased to advise customers that it is scheduled to commission a 132kV Grid Substation in Ambalangoda area in 2005, with a view to meeting future load growth and further improve reliability of supply in the area. General Manager, Is maintenance of current accounts only for the affluent? A popular topic of discussion in local newspapers in the recent past has been the unjustifiable 100% service charge increase debited to customers without any notice by the Bank of Ceylon. This increase was aimed at clients who failed to maintain the stipulated minimum balance in their respective accounts. The stipulated minimum balances too have been increased and they vary according to the type of account: Personal, Trade or Corporate. A retired bank employee who is perhaps affluent and enjoys his entitled pension, medical benefit, argued in his article in the Daily News of November 25 that this increase is justifiable. Perhaps out of gratitude for his former employer, this gentleman maintains that the Bank's administration costs for maintaining accounts have risen to unprecedented heights. However, it is my view that this levied charge should be withdrawn totally forthwith in order to encourage all citizens to make use of the advantages of maintaining a current account at a prestigious State-owned bank. The introduction of the increased monthly service charge has forced a large amount of account holders to close their accounts, thus foregoing the facilities they had been used to enjoy. A monthly charge of Rs. 50 is a large sum for the non-affluent. The bank, of course, has numerous ways of earning commissions, interests and income from their range of products and services. It is learnt that the bank has already lost a large percentage of clients following the implementation of this disastrous decision. It is not too late for the Bank management to give considerable thought to this serious matter, revoke this decision and suggest other alternatives and incentives to attract more customers to the bank at a time when competition among banks is very high. Central Bank authorities and the Minister of Finance should also intervene to protect existing customers from this unjustifiable measure. Sunil Thenabadu, Mr. Binduhewa's letter which appeared in the Sunday Observer of 18 January prompted me to write on the same subject. A few years ago a foreign VIP who came to Sri Lanka to take part at an international conference as the representative of his country went back to his hotel room in disgust at seeing that his country's national flag had been hoisted upside down at the entrance to the conference hall at the BMICH. He was furious and demanded that national flag should be brought back to him forthwith. The writer was instructed by the duty officer of the conference hosted by the Foreign Ministry to return the flag to the VIP, pacify him and apologise for the genuine shortcoming which the VIP accepted in a gentlemanly manner. However the most interesting part of this incident was his reaction on seeing his country's national flag. He immediately clasped it with both hands, spread it across the room table, and kissed it with a spirit of saying 'This needs veneration.' I get reminded of this incident over and over again whenever I happen to watch a cricket match where Sri Lanka is playing as we see some of the spectators wearing the SL flag like a sarong or wrapping it across the body or even using as a cover against sun. How many of us pay respect which is due to the National Flag quite apart veneration. Vivian Fernando, Last evening I went for a walk on Galle Face Green. There were many others who were also walking and enjoying the peace and quiet of the green and the sea breeze. The setting sun was breathtakingly beautiful. There have been many, many articles to the newspapers recently on the lease of Galle Face Green by the UDA and I was very happy to read that the Environmental Foundation Limited is contesting the sale. What right has the UDA to lease the Galle Face Green to the EAP Group or to anyone else for that matter? Firstly, I feel that the public have a right to know what ideas the EAP Group has in the development of the Galle Face Green as it is a public place and a landmark in the city of Colombo. Or is the UDA just not interested in anything other than the money? Is it going to be a permanent carnival with blaring loud speakers, giant screens, food stalls etc, etc. On a Saturday or Sunday, we can hardly find a place to park on an evening as it so crowded with people. There are more and more apartments coming up in Colombo so there are more and more people using the Galle Face Green for exercise, for their kids to run about and play or just to sit and relax. So are we going to allow someone to spoil it all in the name of development? Iromi Salgado, We have been reading recently a spate of letters in the press on the above subject, with several people protesting about lack of interest by the government, suggestions on how to stop this, and we have also read where more emotional people have advocated severe strictures against the perpetrators, and some have even resorted to physical attack on the alleged culprits and their places of worship. I am saddened to say, that all this is only re-exposing the foolishness of our Sinhala people, which has been well publicized over hundreds of years in stories, poems, songs, bailas etc. The Portuguese and the Dutch invaded this island home of ours, with, besides other economic interests, the avowed purpose of proselytizing and converting the natives to Christianity. Is it not strange that even after a total of 500 years of occupation, the Buddhist population in the island is still over 75%? The major part of the balance (about 20%) are Tamils and Muslims. Burghers constitute about a further 2%. So what is the result of their 500-year effort. About 3%. Even this is not definite ! Are my brethren now shouting themselves hoarse because they fear that now, under independence and our own rule of government, these missionaries are going to achieve more than what 500 years of foreign occupation was unable to do. How pathetic !! Please note that this subject is now closed - Editor A Sri Lankan, The four years of damage George Bush has done to America will require an equal number of years for one to repair it, and if he succeeds for another term he will turn the country beyond any repair. His State of the Union address has been dismissed by many as just smoke and mirrors designed to hide the stark fact that he has no real plan for America's future. It's nothing but special effects with the motive to hide the sad truth during his presidency. Wesley Clark, Democratic presidential candidate said 'George Bush has helped those have the most, hurt those who have the least, and ignored everyone in between'. We all know for sure, he has pursued a go it-alone foreign policy, dictated by his pro Zionist advisors, that has left his country isolated in the world. When Bill Clinton was asked about the perception that the US is currently engaged in an imperialistic foreign policy he told the audience at the Jeddah Economic Forum that 'the United States cannot make money out of imperialism, it's costly'. S. H. Moulana, |
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