A brief encounter with JRJ over a rejected wheat purchase tender

"Such courtesies came naturally to high political authorities I have worked with"

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Principals and their agents were present when tenders were opened, and they were present when the successful tender or tenderers were announced. If there was any error in our decisions it could be pointed out immediately and if the representations were valid, decisions could be altered. But because of the competence of the Board, this hardly happened. Principals and agents repeatedly said that it was a pleasure to do business with us.

There was the chairman of an important foreign flour milling complex who called on me and stated what a relief it was to come to Sri Lanka and the Food Ministry. He said that he had just come from another country where they had to bribe everyone from the minister downwards just to enter the race to tender. More had to be paid he said, if they were successful just in order to get their legitimate due. He was seething with frustration and quite angry. "But here," he said, "If you do your homework properly, you get the award, and no hassle.

This happy state of affairs existed because the Food Purchase Board consisted not only of people of considerable competence, but also of great integrity. No principal or agent dared to speak to any one of us on a tender, unless the matter was absolutely legitimate and above board, and officials such as Mr. Pulendiran the Food Commissioner and Mrs. Sakuntala Kuruppu who served on the Board were of very high calibre in every sense.

This state of affairs however, puzzled some. There was the President of a local Trade Chamber who used to see me from time to time. One day, after the official part of our conversation ended, he looked earnestly at me and said, "Sir, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" I told him to go right ahead. "Why don't you dip your hands into the river that is flowing by you, and just take one handful?" he inquired. In Sinhala It Sounded beautiful "galagana yana gangawakin dhotak noganne manda?