University Security Costs Double With Rakna Lanka
By Niranjala Ariyawansha
The cost of providing security to the universities has doubled since it bacame mandatory to hire the services of Rakna Lanka Security Service through an order of the Ministry of Higher Education. This was revealed when Minister of Higher Education S. B. Dissanayake answered an oral question raised by UNP MP Dayasri Jayasekera in Parliament on August 22.
The cost of security has risen to Rs 440 million in 2012 from that of Rs 220 million in 2010. In 2011 the total strength of security personnel within the universities were 1,380 which has since risen to 1,408 in 2012.
Whilst most private security firms pay a guard an estimated Rs. 17,000 to Rs. 20,000 per month Rakna Lanka pays around Rs 35,000, Terrence Madujith, Secretary of the FUTA charged. “It is evident that the increase in security costs is not due to the extra number of guards but for increases in their salaries,” he said.
The services of Rakna Lanka was made compulsory in October 2011. Prior to that different companies provided security at each location. The Ministry of Higher Education made the order to engage Rakna Lanka compulsory without even calling for tenders.
The two month old trade union action launched by the Federation of University Teachers Association has amongst other demands called for the expelling of this security service. Madujith claims that at a meeting FUTA officials had with Minister Basil Rajapaksa on August 21 this matter had been raised. According to Madujith, Rajapaksa had explained that all government entities should engage Rakna Lanka for their security services as a consequence of a cabinet decision. He had asserted that as a result of the cabinet decision a tender procedure was not required. Rajapaksa had allegedly maintained that the services of Rakna Lanka comprising of retired security personnel must be given preference as a means of showing gratitude to those who had helped save the country from the clutches of terrorism. Terrence Madujith had another view. “We do not think that they brought in war heroes into the universities paying such a large sum for love or gratitude for them. They did so to spy on university students,” he said.
Oh, after all then Tamil Terrorism was a mask. Now the Universities, then what? and Who? Then who will speak for the People. Come on people wake up! or forever live in poverty and fear. The Tamil excuse is over, now they have to find scape goats. I can see Rwanda and Somalia in one nation.
The security is must in any place (or country) until they bring down the system to normal otherwise nothing will remain at last. During last 30 years; did university system run towards their real goals? Simple reply is NO..for that, all are responsible.
Now the high time to understand their real goals, eliminate unnecessary politics and do everyone’s duty rightly. For that we should spend more money at this stage but gradually should reduce and invest more for education.
Rubbish. the extra sum could have spent in recruiting more qualified professors to all universities & expanding the number of in takes for year 2012
Saman with your broken English and convoluted ideas I dont thik you are intelligent enough to comment on University education, We dont need this high powered security set up working under the jackboot of Gotabaya who seems to poke his ministry into every nook and corner of this regime..When the cost of living is sky high why spend double the expenditure on security which is clearly not as urgent as spending this money on salaries and maitainance of a decent system of education in our Universities. There is so much corruption going on after this government came into power This security racket may be another means of making money by corrupt people. Whom can the common man appeal to when we are governed by a familial dictatorship.. Stll playing the same old song about how they got rid of the LTTe like a broken record.We know the story stop harping. and get real.
Patriot … My English may ‘broken English’ because I studied under free education and passed out from a national university. For you; my ideas may be ‘Convolute and unintelligent’ but I know the ‘in and outs’ of the university system in SL. Your type of hoodwinks were opposing and criticized the endeavors of the government against the war. However irrespective of our political ideology we should accept Gota’s leadership in the war as majority of grateful people of the country had recognized (hence we shouldn’t concern about minority portion like you).
Did our universities perfectly function according required standard during last 30 years? If any person who has studied at the SL university system he/she knows the way that certain political groups are controlling the system. Without pooper controlling mechanism in place, any government cannot bring this system up to required standard. In fact security would act major role irrespective of our conformity. Any government shall tight the screws until bring down the system. But, instead of accepting said truth our ‘Patriot’ has threw stones to the government. This revealed ‘Patriot’s blind vision and unwise understanding (or hidden idea) about the matter. We should categorically agreed all previous governments had confronted this issue and they failed to give a solution like 30 year old war.
Rakna Lanka is the private Hit Squad of Gota.
How can aged retirees be better than young men.
The retirees get pension – young men do not.
Saman corect! Also His ecselency Gotabaya got country freedom big. So, Good if all police, all army, all navi, all air forse throw out and security for all country given by sir Gotabaya. I hate this so call University in Sri Lanka, because I sturdy lot, only two hundres point needed more and they no admit me!! I thinking they all dumb and Sri Lanka should need no university, and treat Real Hero Like Real Hero!!
Sorry Lokka ,thank God that fools like you who cannot write a paragraph of intellible English or for that matter write any sense are not admitted to our Universities. Get real mate you are not University material . Best go and join Gota’s ministry of dumbos.
THIS RAKNA LANKA BELONGS TO BROTHER OF MOST POWERFUL POLITICIAN IN SRI LANKA.THIS IS THE REASON MINISTER FORCED AND GOVERNMENT SELECTED THIS SECURITY,THIS IS THE THEY ARE SEALING PUBLIC MONEY,,,,