A poor man in Sri Lanka has no telephone, facsimile or e-mail facilities. His only mode of exchanging of messages or information is by posting a letter or a post-card.

The most appalling thing in the postal department is its inefficiency, including the delivery of letters.

Earlier there was an unwritten law in the postal department which said "Letter posted - presumed delivered". Today it is just the opposite, which could be said "letter posted - presumed gone astray". Who is responsible for this grave lapse? Whose fault is this?

In the good old days, there were the Travelling Post Offices on the long distance trains. This TPO consisted of a Chief Postmaster, his assistants, sorters and all other paraphernalia and they activated work whilst the trains were on the move. Also the postal department then consisted of one Postmaster-General and his deputy. Now there are umpteen number of Assistant Postmasters-General.

On 25th of August this year I obtained a money order bearing No. M-21043690 for Rs. 2,000 from Kollupitiya Post Office to Kotahena Sub-Post Office. The advice of this money order sent by Kollupitiya had never been received. Later the Postmaster Kollupitiya who was informed of this sorted it out after much delay.

On Monday the 23rd October, I sent three registered letters from the Kollupitiya Post Office to Mount-Lavinia, Panadura and Kalutara. All these three registered letters had been received on the 30th - after a lapse of one week. I have the registration receipt for this.

Efficient Postmasters-General like Victor A. Nicholas and Herbert Ehelepola Seneviratna must be turning in their graves.

Over to you Sir PMG and the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications.