Grama Niladharis should be more aware of what happens in their areas
With ref. to your news item in the Sunday Times of November 10, on Sri Lankan Airlines I wish to state my views as a retired Senior Engineer of SriLankan Airlines.
The news item gave me the impression that SriLankan will not have any option other than closure, to overcome its current financial position.This should be the last option. 1. SriLankan is requested to close down all non-profitable routes. It seems that the stoppage of flights to European cities has not helped.There are many more sectors losing money. Sri Lankan should come out with the list of loss-making routes and announce its intention. 2. Ground all excess aircraft, considering the monthly utilisation of all available aircraft. The monthly utilisation of the aircraft has to tally with the industry average for the aircraft models.Money will be saved on maintenance costs once long term storage procedures are adopted for the grounded aircraft. A separate body is required to be created to sell excess aircraft. The disposal of aircraft will be successful considering the profits made by Singapore Airlines in the sale of used aircraft. 3. Create a list of excess staff designation wise. A Voluntary Retirement Scheme can be offered to staff as was done in 2001 to reduce excess staff. 4. Staff utilisation must be increased. The recent decision to stop third party aircraft maintenance due to withdrawal of EASA approval is not acceptable. Engineering can go ahead with 3rd party maintenance with specific approvals from Civil Aviation organisations of the countries concerned. The first major check on aircraft from Sahara Airlines was done sucessfully by Air Lanka following this procedure. 5. No mention was made regarding the 13th month bonus to be paid in December to SriLankan Airlines staff. I suggest that a cap be made to the payment. 6. SriLankan Engineering has stopped providing on-the-job training to trainees passing out from Civil Aviation Authority approved Training Institutes. This programme is required to be continued to ensure availability of skilled staff to fill future vacancies. Ranjan L. Alwis Via email
It is appalling to note that most toilets in government hospitals are smelly, unhygienic and could breed diseases. Private companies could maintain these toilets by deploying one employee per toilet and the patients could pay Rs.10 each time he/she used the toilet. If this system is implemented the maintenance/expenditure will not be a burden on the hospital/ government budget. For example a company has been utilised to provide road sweepers, garbage removing crews etc.
This system could be operative with the cooperation and assistance of the patients themselves. The Health Ministry could send a directive to all hospital administration units to deploy companies to do this.
Government hospitals are patronised by the affluent, middle class and the poor, and some may even give more money for this purpose.
The other alternative is to levy a toilet fee by the company deployed to maintain toilets on a weekly basis, from the patient. Patients who cannot afford this fee could be exempted and those who can could pay more on a voluntary basis.
Most of the sick dread to enter government hospitals due to the toilets being in a bad condition.. No one has come up with a proper solution for this problem. Even most of the public toilets are in an appalling state.
Let us hope patients get cured and do not get various diseases related to unhygenic toilets in hospitals. Karalasingam Sivalingam
Nugegoda
According to Tassie Seneviratne (Sunday Times December 3,), 97,000 illicit liquor dens have been detected by the authorities. The number that went without detection is anybody’s guess.
It is necessary that information about these dens reach the Excise and Police Departments for them to take action.
At present there are 14, 022 Grama Niladhari divisions in the island. Grama Niladharis are the ones who operate at the village level. As Government Agents in the ’60s we knew that nothing good or bad could happen in our areas without our knowledge.
So the government should encourage them to pass any information on these places to the relevant authorities.Make it obligatory to provide such information and where necessary they could be rewarded and promoted.
Unlike in the ’60s the Grama Niladhari divisions are now smaller.May be they have more duties.Take off part of their ceremonial work and entrust them with more fruitful work. Former Government Agent Via email