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Speaker Karu Jayasuriya gave his assent to the Right to Information Act No. 12 of 2016 this week following his return from Singapore and a long delay in translations since Parliament unanimously passed the Bill two months ago. The delay in his signing the bill into law raised concerns. A Freedom of Information Bill [...]
Laws’ delays: AG’s Dept. to be restructured
Parliament’s legal experts working out new plan to expedite cases By Damith Wickremesekera A committee of ministers and parliamentarians will probe delays at the Attorney General’s Department and the Legal Draftsman’s Office, the Cabinet of Ministers have decided. Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe told the Sunday Times yesterday that hundreds of cases were delayed and more [...]
Former Govt. bought hi-tech tapping devices, but engineers defied orders
By Namini Wijedasa The previous Government imported telecommunication surveillance equipment from the Chinese firm Huawei Technologies in October 2014, just months before the presidential election. However, it was never installed because engineers at Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) had refused to follow orders. The equipment came in a box of around eight feet in length and [...]
Indians here for ETCA talks on Tuesday
Preliminary talks between India and Sri Lanka on the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) will begin onTuesday with an visiting Indian delegation coming here for the purpose. The delegation headed by the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India will hold talks with their Sri Lankan counterparts to discuss the [...]
Huge tender for oil pipelines next week
The Government will next week award a tender valued at more than Rs. 8.7 billion for the construction of four pipelines to carry oil from the Colombo harbour’s Dolphin Pier to Kolonnawa. Bidders from India, Malaysia, China and the United States have been shortlisted to construct the pipelines, each six-and-a-half kilometres long, to replace the 69-year-old [...]
Spot tenders for coal: Lanka saves Rs. 1.1 billion
The Power and Energy Minister’s initiative to introduce spot tenders for the procurement of coal has resulted in a saving of nearly US$ 7.6 million (Rs. 1.1 billion) compared with coal purchase through long-term tenders, an independent committee has found. The decision to implement a mix of procurement through long-term and spot tenders is a [...]
CEB can procure ‘interim’ power to avert power crisis: PUCSL
The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has granted approval to the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to procure electricity from several sources, as an interim measure to avert a power crisis predicted to affect the country in 2018-2019. The PUCSL’s decision was conveyed this week to the CEB, consequent to the submission of its [...]
Famed snake rescuer killed by rescued cobra
Amal Wijesekara – saviour of countless snakes, died last week of a snake bite, aged 47 and unmarried. He was found dead on August 3 morning, near his residence in Galle, with bite marks on his left hand. Apparently the tragedy had occurred late at night or in the early hours of the day. The [...]
Colombo stage for 29th LAWASIA conference
Sri Lanka will facilitate the 29th Golden Jubilee conference of LAWASIA for the third time in Colombo next Friday. LAWASIA, the law association for Asia and the Pacific which was formed in 1966 will provide a discussion forum that promotes cross-jurisdictional exchanges of legal information and education in the Asia Pacific region. The four day [...]
Dengue cases zoom, but officials predict decline
Dengue cases which hit a six year high in July may show a decline with island -wide programmes to eradicate mosquito breeding sites, health authorities say. Earlier, last month the number of dengue patients skyrocketed to 7,071 cases, the highest figure that was seen since 2010. Authorities said that hospitals particularly in the Western Province [...]
State universities’ non-academic staff hopeful of resolving grievances
Non-academic staff of State universities, on strike for over a week, hope to end their trade union action today, if talks with Deputy Minister of Higher Education Mohan Lal Grero, to be held this morning, provides a satisfactory solution to their problems. Chairman of Sri Lanka University Trade Union Joint Committee (SLUTUJC) Edward Malwattage said [...]
Madushanka faces murder conspiracy charge
The 24-year-old Sri Lankan national being held in the Maldives over allegations he conspired with two others to assassinate the President of that country is to be charged in court soon, according to a document obtained from the Maldives’ Prosecutor General’s office. Sri Lankan national Lahiru Madushanka and Maldivian nationals Ahmed Adeeb and Fazeel Hameed [...]
Bagful of aches and pains for Lanka’s schoolchildren
Child Specialists downed their stethoscopes, not as a work-to-rule protest, but to take up bags and books for ‘examination’. Moving away from medical bags and tomes, they are peering closely at schoolbags and textbooks, analysing and trying to find out what ills are being caused to schoolchildren. The stress faced by ‘voiceless’ schoolchildren has now [...]
Salawa residents want more money due to ‘blast vibrations’
Disheartened Salawa residents whose properties were damaged in the massive explosion in the army armoury in town on June 6 are questioning the valuation method used to pay compensation, claiming there is continuing cracking in walls and floors and other structural damage. They are also displeased that the cost of the roofs renovated by the [...]
Transitional justice: Lanka needs its own formula, says US law don
The transitional justice field has created its own industry and language with a tendency to repeat mantras, resulting in the stifling of critical thinking, a visiting professor of transitional justice and international human rights law said this week. “There are some good things one can learn from the transitional justice field,” said Prof. Ronald C [...]
Natural gas exploration off SL awaits Cabinet approval
Petroleum Resources Development Ministry will next week seek Cabinet approval to offer natural gas exploration opportunities in Sri Lanka. International tenders will be called from companies for exploration of gas in two blocks off Mannar. Minister of Petrolueum Resources Development, Chandima Weerakkoddy said discussions have already been held with six international companies including Petronas (Malaysia), [...]
Re-surfacing BIA runway to impact adversely on flight schedules: Operators
Re-surfacing of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) runway by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in January next year, resulting in its daytime closure for some time, will have a major impact on flight schedules of airlines, Airline officials said. The closure, said to last for three months, will affect SriLankan, Emirates and Qatar Airways which [...]
VAT bill: Speaker to announce SC ruling on Tuesday
The Supreme Court’s determination on the Value Added Tax (VAT) bill will be announced by Speaker Karu Jayasuirya to Parliament on Tuesday. The court sent its ruling on the bill to Parliament this week. Several petitions were filed in the Supreme Court, seeking a ruling that the bill should become law only after it is [...]
‘Missing Baggage’ mainly due to passenger negligence: Authorities
Failure of airline passengers to observe basic requirements to keep their luggage secure is the main reason for thems to go missing at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), authorities say. Police claimed, incidents of organised luggage theft at BIA are rare. However, the continued failure of airline passengers to take basic precautions could open the [...]
Neglected Sinhagama villagers
Story and pix by Kanchana Kumara Ariyadasa For the 144 families living in the village of Sinhagama located along the Habarana –Tricomalee main road, life can’t possibly get any more difficult. With limited means of generating an income , lack of water and the constant threat of attacks by wild elephants, the men, women and [...]
Monitoring of academic institutions to check sexual abuse of students
The raid on the Leadership Training Academy in Hantanne, Kandy, where unsuspecting teenagers have been sexually abused by their tutors, has brought to the fore, the need to monitor mushrooming residential tutories in the country. Last week, following the escape of two teenagers from the academy which had recruited several teenagers (16-17 years), claiming to [...]
Experts decry Railways’ apathy towards local technology at crossings
Engineering experts say the Railways Dept is yet to provide a suitable solution to safeguard unprotected rail-gates over the years, even though engineers have come up with low cost local solutions. The concern over the safety in level crossings was discussed following several accidents, after gatekeepers of 600 unsafe railway crossings protested over their salary [...]
Sexual performance enhancing drugs are no ‘magic’ bullet for happiness
It is easy and exciting but very dangerous. Many just drop by a pharmacy, pick up that drug which is supposed to enhance performance or extend the thrill, over-the-counter and not give it a second thought. “Beware,” is the gentle warning from Sexual Medicine Specialist Dr. Lasantha Malavige, who reiterates that there is nothing wrong [...]
Sunday shock: Rape and abuse of girls exposes rotten society of perverts
Amid a shocking and shameful disclosure that as many as 750 cases of child rape or sexual abuse have been reported so far this year, with many more going unreported, comes the horror of horrors of a 13-year-old girl. Behind the physical and mental devastation of this innocent child who had been repeatedly raped by [...]
No Navy pirating of our land, say Mullaitivu residents
By S. Rubatheesan When officials from the Mullaitivu office of the Surveyor-General’s Department went this week to mark the boundaries of a plot of land to be acquired by the navy, they were turned back by residents. The officials were in the final stages of taking over 617 acres of land, at least half of [...]
Mr. Minister, read your own minutes
Ever heard of a Government accusing newspapers of distorting facts to “disrupt the economic development of Sri Lanka” when the news report in question is nothing but the truth and the whole truth? This time the accusation was against the Sunday Times over last week’s front page lead story headlined “H’tota and Mattala: China declines [...]
Trishaws unsafe even without bad driving
Three-wheelers have an inherently unsafe structure and serious accidents involving them cannot be avoided unless strict laws are put in place, a leading traffic expert says. Three trishaw drivers are killed each week in accidents, averaged police figures show. Unlike other vehicles which are strengthened by metal sheeting , the threewheeler design does not enable it [...]
Alcohol spells socio-economic doom; national policy to make Lanka booze-free nation
It is a sight that greets many as the evening shadows lengthen into night — swaying, lurching and staggering, an inebriated person with obscenities spewing forth, attempting to make his way home. Often whatever time this husband and father reaches home, the family lives in fear of what accompanies his arrival……usually the children crouch in [...]
No Navy pirating of our land, say Mullaitivu residents
When officials from the Mullaitivu office of the Surveyor-General’s Department went this week to mark the boundaries of a plot of land to be acquired by the navy, they were turned back by residents. The officials were in the final stages of taking over 617 acres of land, at least half of it privately owned. [...]
Photo focus: Neglected Sinhagama villagers
For the 144 families living in the village of Sinhagama located along the Habarana –Tricomalee main road, life can’t possibly get any more difficult. With limited means of generating an income , lack of water and the constant threat of attacks by wild elephants, the men, women and children living here lack the basic amenities [...]