Why is the CMC silent ?

I was pleased to read the short letter to the Editor written by Bandula Nonis and would like to add my comments to it.

Leave alone the Green in the City, the way things are going on, with the CMC just sleeping or refusing to see what is going on, the resident tax payers may have to take up placards.they’ll have to demonstrate in front of the CMC office soon to express their anger over the allowing of the city to be vandalized by new houses, for business purposes.they are being lined up virtually blocking the roads for both vehicles and pedestrians.

The Viharamahadevi Park being devastated by concrete structures is one thing.thanks to the free Wifi supplied, there are so many people frequenting the park. One sees even foreigners just sitting at these quiet places with a mobile phone on one ear and enjoying the free Wifi connection! Many lovers too enjoy this facility! I have noticed this happening on many mornings when I visit the Park for a walk. Not many come there to walk.

We can still ignore that. But what about the eating houses? Five of them are lined up from one end of the Municipal ground and stretch to the end of the Park, on Green Path (now Nelum Pokuna Mawatha).the location is Horton Place Round about along CWW Kannangara Mawatha. I do not want to name them, but anybody would know what I am talking about. No pedestrian can walk along this stretch of the road opposite the several eating houses without risking their lives. My question is how has the CMC given them licenses to operate? If they are operating sans licenses why is the UDA silent? Why is the Traffic Police and the area Police turning a blindeye to this? May be their priorities lie elsewhere!

Let me add to this the few other roads that are getting devastated. How many business premises have come up at Rosmead Place and Barnes Place which are so close to the CMC? But yet just a few metres away from Musaeus College an Indonesian eating house has been opened. Residential houses have been converted and non-residential activities are going on in these places.

As a tax payer of the CMC I cannot understand why we have a Municipal council at all! LALITH HETTIARACHCHI

COLOMBO 7