COMING FROM SB – Should I take it with a pinch of salt?

When a sensible idea comes from someone known to have made all sorts of nonsensical remarks in the past, one does not always take note.

I will draw you attention to this link which in essence says that “we must change our mentality to go forward” DURRRRRRRRRR

https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/we-have-lost-billions-of-rupees-because-of-basil-and-sajith-sb/

Of course that has been the whole reason for my blog, suggestions to improve the lives of our citizens. I have labored and labored, hoping someone with some kind of sense would just take them all and tick them as being solved. We will be truly paradise if that is done.

There is simply NO POINT in blaming any particular individual, all POLITICIANS in Sri Lanka MUST take collective responsibility for their actions, otherwise they should not be elected! Lets face it Parliament is a club of 225 people enjoying unjustifiable level of benefits, and now each MP is NOT only been given a vehicle to travel at STATE EXPENSE, he is given TWO DRIVERS, when previously they had only one!

So if the subject of SBs ire is Samurdhi, then it should be scrapped, as 90% of those who receive Samurdhi are NOT deserving, and 90% of those who MUST be on Samurdhi are NOT. So it is a system of entitlement and not of welfare for the needy, which it was set up to be in the first place.

These sorts of entitlements mean that if you are on Samurdhi, you child automatically wants to be ALSO on Samurdhi, as a RIGHT when he or she grows up, and now we have families and generations on Samurdhi.

Welfare was set up, so that needy people are assisted by the state, so they can get on their feet, and once independent weaned OFF this! Politicians DON’T want them weaned off, as they want them to feel beholden to them. The needs assessment is NOT done properly, and with 14,000 GNs (Grama Niladari) in Sri Lanka, they can or should be able to inform the Samurdhi authority of who should or should NOT be on welfare. I have discovered that many of the needy, NOT being part of the GN list, as they don’t have an abode, (the most needy) don’t even get on the radar of people needing assistance of the State.

With a bureaucracy of 1.5M, Govt. servants, we are still unable to help the needy, and have poverty alleviation programs that raise people from their unfortunate circumstance.

Everything is just red tape paperwork, form filling, procedures, meetings, and lodging complaints. When asked why problems are NOT solved, the usual answer is that the tools are NOT in place.

WHAT IS THIS CHANGE OF MENTALITY THAT WE NEED?

1                   Government Servants must realize they are the servants of the PUBLIC

2                   Elected Officials must realize that they are merely the servants of the people who have pledged to improve the system of Government, by improving the productivity of Government!

3                   Their salaries are paid by the Citizens of Sri Lanka, not by some Minister, so their responsibility is SOLELY to the people they serve.

4                   The most important thing people must realize is that Government exists to ensure that the public amenities are administered in a fair manner, so as being managed for the common good. There is NO place for personal enrichment at the expense of the people.

5                   Anyone requiring assistance should be directed to the appropriate individual as there are 30 different types of officer in a Divisional Secretariat to take care of the needs of the public. (they include Women’s can Children’s Officer for women and children, Youth Officer for youth affairs, Disaster Relief Officer, to assist with notification and distribution of Disaster Relief, Officer responsible for the special needs of disabled people, etc.  30 different subjects!)

6                   Samurdhi Benefits should be reviewed on an as needed basis EVERY YEAR and revised. They SHOULD NOT be a permanent list, that does not change. Any family receiving Samurdhi Benefits for over a year MUST be interviewed and a plan of action instituted to wean them off these Benefits. Many have been receiving Samurdhi from the day the program has been established, at a huge cost to the state, and NO DETERMINED action has been undertaken to review the recipients and remove those NO LONGER ENTITLED!

The list is as long as a piece of string, and so I am only scratching the surface, as we certainly have NOT SHORTAGE of resources to benefit ALL who need real help. With a change of mentality, we can fairly distribute resources for the benefit of ALL those who require it, based on guidelines that are acted on without any favoritism. Much of which is currently wasted.