Govt.’s state sector woes

Chairman of Airport and Aviation Services Sri Lanka Ltd.,  Air Chief Marshal Harsha Abeywickrama (retd) resigned from his position yesterday. This is days after the chairperson of the National Women’s Commission, Attorney-at-Law Ramani Jayasundara, stepped down from her position.

These are just two of the high-profile resignations of persons appointed to high positions by the NPP Government who have decided to make an early exit. There have been numerous other such  resignations in the past few months and while no official reasons have been given ,the inside information is that interference with the work of these institutions led to the resignation.

Those who have been appointed to such positions have been handpicked by those in Government and are competent to take on the responsibilities given to them with all seriousness and with the best of intentions.

It’s not only such appointees who are disgruntled with the way that those in the public sector are being pushed around by those in high places.  For a Government that rode to power on the overwhelming backing of the state sector employees, falling foul of them is happening faster than imagined.

Doctors are  on the verge of serious trade union action while others in the medical sector too are threatening work stoppage in the days ahead. The health sector at the moment is in a big mess with medical shortages and a looming strike but there is little proactive action by the minister concerned.

The education sector too is in turmoil particularly after the Government's  lackadaisical approach to its much-hyped reforms, while the Cabinet led  by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who decided  to postpone till next year the implementation of the grade six new modules, has since taken to blaming the opposition for misleading the public on the matter.

In the midst of this, the Government attitude toward state sector employees is growing increasingly hostile. The Deputy Secretary General of Parliament was interdicted recently amidst allegations that he was being sent out on some whimsical charges.

This week the Maha Nayaka Theras  wrote to the President about the appointment of a new Auditor General, warning against appointing those from  outside the audit service. In the  letter  the Chief Prelates of the Malwatta, Asgiriya, Amarapura, and Ramanna Chapters said a  senior official with long-standing experience in the department should be appointed without further delay. The AG’s post has been vacant for close to ten months which does not help the cause of accountability in the country.

There are also growing concerns that the current Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe may be removed from the post. For a Government with more than a two-third majority in Parliament, it is not a difficult task but using high handed tactics in dealing with public officials will do little in winning over these workers.

The NPP came to power promising to depoliticise  state institutions but what’s happening is the opposite. Those loyal to the party have been placed in high positions and many are not competent for the position. The grade six English module  mix up has to do with inefficiency and not conspiracy.

It is easy to be complacent when in power particularly when the ruling side enjoys a formidable majority. But that won’t help the Government in the long term. What the Government needs is some introspection to understand where it’s going wrong, partially vis a vis its handling of the state sector.