What development to expect when both Public as well as Private sector is performing in this manner?

The Scene One.

Seventeen days after paying money in full only the installation and connection were completed by a private television company.

At the time of payment, it was to take only three to five working days to complete the transaction.

I am still trying to understand the true meaning of their interpretation of the phrase “Working Day” as it is apparently obvious that they do have fewer working days than non-working days.

Exactly the same numbers of days were taken by someone to travel around the world in a hot air balloon a few years back.

The installation party confirmed their arrival in the morning but arrived at the location five hours later.

That too without many of the tools needed for the work.

And imaging the plight of us, if we were unable to provide them the things that they were supposed to carry along with them in their mobile unit.  

The company was happy to blame everything under the Sun like high demand, holidays, inclement weather to name a few than admitting neither their incompetency nor apologetic.

The Scene  Two.

The street lamp in front of the house catches fire when switched on.

First the Electricity Board was contacted which was not under their purview, so we were told.

The Urban council was contacted then and was assured that the reported fault would be corrected.

Two weeks have elapsed but the status of the street lamp is as it was before.

The latest excuse was that their break-down unit would visit our residential area only on Thursdays.

Now I am waiting till the next Thursday.

But not to get the issue sorted out but to hear another lame excuses from them only.

What development would one expect when both the Public as well as the Private sector is performing in this manner?

The time has arrived to purge such non or under performers, if one truly believing in achieving a real and lasting development in this country.

Development at what cost? Part II

http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2011/01/01/development-at-what-cost/

Development at what cost?

http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2011/01/01/development-at-what-cost/

Development at what cost?

Yesterday, I was shocked and amazed to see the safety regulations being openly violated at the Matara-Colombo Hi-way construction site situated at Makumbura.

The workers were allowed to work on machineries, carry heavy items etc without the proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs).

Except for Hard-hats, no other protective equipment has been provided to any of the staffs working at this site.

When I tried to communicate with one of the foreign nationals overseeing the operation at this site to raise my concerns, he was pretending not to understand a word of English.

I am sure those who have accepted the BOT (Build/Operate & Transfer) contracts are aware of those safety concerns and given enough provisions to fulfill all the requirements prior to acceptance.

I also wonder where the government Health & Safety inspectors were.

Development is necessary but at what cost and on whose expense are important questions that we need to ask when such flagrant violations being committed openly.

“The Greedy Buddha Restaurant”

A mail doing rounds with a heading “The Greedy Buddha Restaurant” somewhere in the United Kingdom with a couple of pictures of it and a passionate appeal written to the owner of the establishment by a shocked Buddhist, who discovered it recently.
Should the Buddhists be alarmed of this development?
No!
First, the name itself is self-defeating.
Because the word “Buddha” means the” Enlightened One” and no enlightened one can be greedy.
The Gautama Buddha was the second in the long line of Teachers who have shunned the idea of idol worshipping and it was almost 500 years after the passing away of this great teacher that the erection of statues took roots in the Buddhist culture.
The intention of choosing such an eye catching name is to get an instant attention, and then the owner of the establishment is quite successful, given the attention it gets on the internet.
If the reason is ignorance, insult or both, then the owner has done a great favour to those who believe that they are follower of that faith.
Tolerance and compassion are the whole marks of the Buddha’s teaching and such an act would only helps the believers to truly test their core believes.
Blasphemy was a word that has come to our vocabulary much later and has no true meaning to it, except to cover up one’s own weaknesses and blames and shames another for one’s own failings and inadequacies.
No ordinary person can shame an Enlightened One and if anyone believes that it is possible, then there is something faulty in his or her thinking faculty.
“Lokha Samastha Sukino Bawanthu”.

The Letter that never got answered?

The Chairman,

Seylan Bank Limited,

Colombo,

Sri Lanka.

Dear Mr. Narangoda,

The purpose of this mail is to formally notify you of my displeasure of the way my remittance matter was handled by the Asia Express Exchange in Oman, which is under your management.

I have been dealing with the said Exchange from the inception in Oman.

On the 27^th October, I deposited some money in one of your branches in Seeb to transfer the funds to my wife’s account in Sri Lanka.

At the time of the transaction, I was assured that the money would be available in Sri Lanka, the following morning and I had no reason not to believe Teller then.

On the 29^th morning, I received a call from my wife to inform that the money has still not reached her account.

Immediately I contacted Mr. Don Malinda, the person who assured me that the funds will be made available the next morning.

He took down my contact and promised to check that out and call me back.

Sadly that promised call never came up until now.

Then in desperation, I contacted Mr. Amit, the Chief Manager of the Exchange in the evening on his private mobile as none of the listed lines were being picked up by the Seeb branch or the main branch in Ruwi.

As he was out of the office at that time that he wanted to send him my remittance details and he would call me back first thing in the following morning.

After checking twice with the bank, my wife called me again this morning (30^th) to inform that the funds have still not reached Sri Lanka.

After giving a reasonable time for Mr. Amit to check whatever he needs to check and advice me of the status of my remittance, I called him back on his private mobile.

Instead of apologizing for his failure to keep his word or the inconveniences caused due to their mishandling of my money, he became defensive by stating that he was about to call me back, which was a few hour over due by then.

If a senior person in this organizing was behaving in such a manner, what would we expect from a junior Teller like Mr. Don Malinda?

Regret to say but I started to think whether such behavior is endemic in this organization.

Sri Lankan community in Oman is a small but well knitted community and the word of mouth is a very potent force.

Further there are many other banks too offering the exactly or much better services to such businesses.

Therefore, I sincerely hope that you would seriously look in to this complaint and give me some answers as well as the assurances that such a mishandling would not occur in future dealing.

Or I am happy to take my business to your competitors in future and I am unable to assure you that the news of me dumping Seylan Bank reaching the Sri Lankan community as well.

Copy of the Demand draft is attached herewith for your easy reference.

Thank you,

Sasanka De Silva,

30th October 2010.

Should Sri Lanka stop sending unskilled labour abroad?

The recent News item “24 nails hammered into the maid’s body” may have angered some but this was not an isolated or one off cases.

Such incidents happen almost every day in this part of the World but seldom get the media limelight.

I am happy that except of her traumatic experience and entailing consequences, the lady is now out of any danger.

Should Sri Lanka stop sending unskilled labour abroad?

I think this incident should be used as a springboard to start that process in earnest.

The initially the financial consequences of such a decision may felt.

But the adverse social consequences come along with the exporting of unskilled labour abroad such as this are far greater and long lasting then the financial consequences, hence now it is time for the Government of Sri Lanka to take the bold step and impose a total ban.

It said that the Paradise is open only to kind hearts and I wonder where would the couple go after what they have done to their maid.

I am sure not to the PARADISE !

Kithsiri Sasanka De Silva blogging from Oman.