Letters to the Editor
View(s):We the unfortunate victims of developing Battaramulla
“Nestling close to the Diyawanna Oya which meanders leisurely through the ancient Kingdom of Sri Jayawardanapura and almost on the Western outskirts of the Urban Council area of Kotte lies the peaceful and serene hamlet of Battaramulla. The rattle of wooden planks that once lay across the narrow bridge of Diyawanna and the dusty winding roads, which ran through the stretches of marshy land, made this little known part of the Colombo District accessible only to light vehicles, bullock carts, long lines of pedal cyclists, and pedestrians winding their way to and from the cities of Colombo and Kotte…..” – An excerpt from a letter to a newspaper published in October 1984, by C. P. J. Cooray, a lawyer and a resident of “Jayanthipura”, the first housing scheme built by the Department of National Housing in Battaramulla.
The times referred to by the writer were probably the early 1950’s. By the 1960’s, Battaramulla became moderately populated with a second housing scheme “Sri Subuthipura”. That was the time when a gallon (4.5 L) of petrol was Rs. 3. The CTB bus fare from Battaramulla to Ethul Kotte, Borella, and to Pettah was 5, 15, and 30 cents respectively. The CTB lived well up to its monopoly by running an efficient bus service that catered from school children to people going to work, despite the time – dawn, dusk or even midnight. On the whole, the CTB bus service was so prompt that it cleared up the passenger queues and they made it to the schools and offices in time. Today, the main bus stand which was boon to many travellers, had been replaced by a building that could easily have found an alternative location that has thrown the travellers to wayside bus halts all over the city.
In the 1980’s, the new Parliament gave Battaramulla a prestigious position on the map. The population increased, roads were widened, supermarkets came up, banks opened their branches and numerous government offices were moved to newly built Sethsiripaya. Adorned with such upgrading in spite of insurrections and terrorist attacks at various times in the country, life in general was peaceful in Battaramulla.
The recent past has drastically changed the atmosphere in Battaramulla. In addition to the expansion of Sethsiripaya, Auditor General’s Department, Department of Immigration and Emigration and other offices in massive buildings are scattered around half a kilometre in the town. It has resulted in thousands of workers flocking to this limited area of the town causing massive traffic congestion from 6.30 a.m. to past 9 a.m. in vehicles diverted via the new Kandy road, Kaduwela, Athurugiriya, Kottawa and Kotte. It is an ordeal for drivers going from or through Battaramulla at those times.
The latest plan under consideration is to have staggered working hours for the offices concerned. If it will solve the problem to some extent or prolong the agony of the motorists is yet to be realized. To ease the traffic congestion, new roads are being constructed parallel to the main road. That also leads to the question if those new roads will go through residential properties of some who had great hopes to make this part of the city their permanent abode years back.
Development in its true sense should be for the well-being of mankind. We do not wish to be carried to the age of dusty gravel roads and bridges with wooden planks, but keep wondering if we are not the unfortunate victims of the unplanned urbanization of Battaramulla.
Nevil A. Perera
Battaramulla
‘… now we have SL’s FM, who is also in charge of lotteries!’
We elect our members of Parliament periodically considering the manifestos published during election times to take the country towards prosperity and increase our living standards. The way things are moving it appears that our representatives are more concerned about their personal welfare than the people who sent them to the Parliament.
This is evident from the way MPs fight for office space, vehicles and portfolios. It is purely personal aggrandizement than welfare of the people who they represent. Now we have a Minister for National Lotteries and External Affairs.I wonder how our minister Ravi Karunanayaka will be introduced at an international forum and what the audience will surmise after learning that he is in charge of lotteries too. We cannot prevent them from thinking that we select our ambassadors by drawing lots. It is difficult to comprehend how individual MP s have become so powerful so as to dictate terms to the leadership.
I. Marambe
Via email
Utter mess at Gampaha Land Registry
Work at the Gampaha Land Registry is in an utter mess. Deeds sent for registration are not returned after signature for months. Deeds sent for registration in October/November 2016 are yet to be received back after registration. It is learnt that piles of deeds are stacked on the desk of the Land Registrar without being signed. The inaction of the Land Registrar at the time is understood to have contributed to the backlog of unsigned deeds, thus causing inconvenience and unnecessary problems to the public and the lawyers, who execute the deeds.
The higher authorities who oversee the work of the Land Registry at Gampaha are kindly requested to look into this sorry state of affairs.
Cyril Fernando
Ja-ela