The new mayor’s task is Herculean

The task before you is Herculean and your main priority will be to root out the rampant corruption that is manifest in many forms in that institution. “Clean Sri Lanka” will mean far more to you than merely cleaning the garbage on the streets.

I have personally experienced many attempts to have their palms greased by public servants in the CMC, for performing routine day-to-day functions, for which they are paid a monthly salary. It happens all the time because the system is embedded, and an opportunity to make money is seldom abandoned.

Uplifting the lives of the street sweepers and garbage collectors is another priority. Just look at their hands and their feet: wasted down to skin and bone and gnarled with hardened wounds and open sores. They work up to 10 hours each day simply to earn a pittance which can hardly provide 3 meals for them, leave alone their families.

Abuse of the system of governance by those who have the strings to pull within the MC to have their neighbourhoods provided with additional street lighting and other facilities etc etc, also bothers us citizens.

Square your shoulders, lift your head high and show us that you don’t have only the beauty …. but the brains too….to make things happen!

Mahendra Fernando