Is the government mad?

By Wilson Perera

(January 14, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The re-registration of citizens is a real head-ache, waste of time, energy and poor peoples’ hard earned cash.

Applications are not available in Police stations and at temporary registration offices in the villages, but are available at Rs 3/- each at Petti Kades next the to the police stations.

On-line registration costs from Rs 100/- onwards at Public Internet Cafes. I hear some registration temporary offices requested people to bring in photo copies of national ID cards of all residents in the house – which costs Rs 3/50 for each person in the house.

What is the idea of registration? To find out if there are additional people such as visitors, servants , drivers etc, in addition to the house holders. This is already published in the electoral list. We registered ourselves recently (it is done twice an year or so) through the electoral list handed over to each house by Grama Sewa Officers. Recently the village security committee also obtained a similar form filled by us with the blessing of the GS .

I have been a resident of my present address for 30 years or so. My house holders list or electoral list remains unchanged for the last 8 years – but I filled the same form twice an year. So what is the big idea of spending time and money for re-registration, if my home status has not changed?

Even a child will understand that this re-registration is required only for those house holds where the status of persons living in that residence has changed since the last count (taken recently) Therefore, anyone in the government with some sort of brains should have asked residents to re-register with the police, if the information given recently has changed due to visitors and servants additions.

If my mother-in-law visits me for one or two weeks can I enter her name as a visitor as she is already registered in her house holders list?

Anyone harbouring an LTTE cadre could forward a falsified statement which will come to light only if a head count is taken physically. On the security status, I must tell that about a week ago I travelled to the airport to see off a passenger. We were checked casually (passport and IDs only) at the airport road check point. Our huge suitcases were not checked at all. Inside the airport they were put through an X Ray machine. Any one wanting do some damage could have carried explosives in the suit cases up to that point.

The Government has no work these days I think – with the war coming to a close, and enemies getting killed – that may be the reason they are burdening the people with re-registration. - Sri Lanka Guardian