Prize winner must wait

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Navaratnam Dharshini, an Year 10 student from the Jaffna Hindu College Kopay, who secured the first prize in an essay competition to mark International Women's Day organised by the Sri Lankan Government's Ministry of Womens' Affairs, and who has to be present in Colombo for the awards ceremony on March 8, is being denied air passage to Colombo due to bureaucratic lethargy, said Jaffna sources.

Dharshini received a letter asking her to be present at Royal College in Colombo only on Thursday March 5.

She met the Government Agent (GA) Jaffna requesting a note to the Civil Affairs Co-ordinating Officer (CACO) for the Jaffna District requesting that arrangements for her flight be made.

But the CACO told her that the note from the GA that had Dharshini submitted was insufficient and a letter of authorisation from the Atchelu Brigade Commander was required if she was to obtain a seat on the Colombo flight.

She was unable to meet the Brigade Commander till 5:30 p.m. on Friday evening.

Dharshini has to secure a passage by Saturday at the latest, if she is to be present in Colombo on time for the awards ceremony.

This looks very unlikely laments the distraught Dharshini.