Now from far flung Embilipitiya comes the news that road maintenance has been neglected for a number of years. Well, may those citizens of Embilipitiya cavil at this neglect of a vital facility but evidently they have not moved around much in recent years. Citizens all over the country have stoically endured this problem over this sunny but rutty island. And hardly a murmer have we heard for some time over it all.

Even if there were any murmers, it has not reached the ears of the powers that be. Initially, they were howls not murmers many years ago but nobody seems to have heard them and since, then the public have got used to travelling on surfaces that don't resemble roads very much.

In rainy weather,they resemble streams and lakes rather than roads and during drought some sadists apparently have placed pot holes and ruts at strategic points that could get the unwary traveller into serious trouble be that individual a pedestrian or a motorist. As for the motorist goes, he is going to be a source of great income for many persons.

A motorist who travels on our roads keeps the wheels of our motoring industry going. First he is what all the garages around him need for revenue. Travel on those roads a few times and you will cortainly keep our motor mechanics going. Then come the spare part shops, so vital a link in the maintenance process.

Finally, it is the state of our roads that decide the state our vehicle importers. Have perfect roads and the turnover will certainly be lower than it is today. So the motor sales folks must be uttering a prayer of thanks for the state of our roads and the people who maintain them.

Now the people of Embilipitiya have been told by the Pradeshiya Shabha that road maintenance does not come under their purview and it is the work of Mahaveli Authority and so it does not have the authority to renovate those roads. The passing game seems about to start.

Now the Project Manager of the area has washed his hands off the whole business in the Mahaveli waters and said the Pradeshiya Sabha could have the authority to go ahead as the Mahaveli Authority does not have the funds to carry on renovation works.

The citizens of the Pradeshiya Sabha must realize that passing the buck or responsibility sans bucks is a favourite pastime of ours and in the final analysis nothing is ever done about our roads. They almost seem to be sacrosanct and nobody dares meddle with them.