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Pensioners from all parts of the country marched upto Lotus Road in Colombo on Friday in support of their demands for an enhanced pension as promised by the Government. Significantly the protesting groups including police pensioners faced a barrier with their present day colleagues in the service on the other side equipped with riot gear. [...]
60 MPs offered big incentive for development work
Some sixty Government parliamentarians are being told to choose between an existing Rs. 200,000 monthly traveling allowance and a luxury Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) for which the State will need to pay a rental of Rs. 590,000 a month for them to carry out development work. These MPs, including some Ministers, head Development Councils under [...]
Many MPs operate on foundations
Several sitting MPs and some former MPs have had bills presented to the legislature to incorporate as Acts of Parliament foundations set up in their names. The bills presented in recent months are for the incorporation of foundations such as the S. B. Nawinna Foundation, Sisira Jayakody Siyapatha Foundation, Rajitha Senaratne Foundation, Arundika Fernando Relief [...]
Sand for Port City: No-go zone off Negombo lagoon
The Government has declared a no-go zone for fishermen off the Negmobo lagoon in view of sand mining operation required for the International Financial City (Port City) project. Megapolis and Western Development Ministry Secretary Nihal Rupasinghe said they had sought the assistance of the Defence Ministry to provide security for the site from where sand [...]
SriLankan dismisses Weliamuna report
The controversial Weliamuna Report which accused SriLankan Airlines top officials and employees of financial misappropriation has been dismissed by the airline’s chief Ajith Dias. Speaking to the Sunday Times on the sidelines of a media briefing, the SriLankan Airlines chairman said there was “no financial misappropriation” with regard to the 15 persons mentioned in the [...]
JO candidates win cooperative polls
Candidates supporting the ‘Joint Opposition’ have secured victories in several cooperative society elections. In the latest elections for the Arachchikattuwa Cooperative Society in the Puttalam district this week, the group supporting the ‘Joint Opposition’ secured 175 votes while the SLFP faction supporting President Maithripala Sirisena obtained one vote. The UNP-backed candidates received nine votes and [...]
JSC takes tough measures to speed up cases in District and Magistrates’ Courts
District Courts will be required to dispose of cases pending more than 10 years within the next two years and Magistrates’ courts will have to dispose of cases pending over five years within one year. The directive has come in a circular issued by the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) and will come into effect from [...]
A hellhole , not a hospital
Conditions at the Dambulla Base Hospital are atrocious. It suffers from a shortage of staff, hospital equipment and inadequate sanitation. The situation is so bad that patients complain their very lives are at risk. The drainage system has collapsed. Many of the toilets within the hospital itself are overflowing, and emit an obnoxious odour which [...]
Cinnamon Air flight makes belly landing at BIA
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has launched an investigation into a mishap involving a Cinnamon Air domestic flight at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on Friday. On Friday, a Cinnamon Air flight had been on approach to land at the BIA after completing a training mission when the plane’s landing gear had apparently malfunctioned. The [...]
Passenger handling capacity to increase from 6m to 15m
Annual passenger handling capacity at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) is expected to increase from its current 6 million to 15 million upon completion of the BIA Development Project, according to Airport & Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd (AASL). Accordingly,the hourly runway capacity will be 35 aircraft movements, up from the present 25 movements. The [...]
Former Customs official charges delay in CITES listing of endangered reptiles
A delay by the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) to submit a proposal to include newly discovered endangered reptiles to the CITES list (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is preventing international action against those smuggling reptile species out the country, a former Customs Deputy Director claimed. Mr. Samantha [...]
Wiser counsel prevails: Criminal Procedure Code amendment put on hold
Storm clouds are building over Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe’s move to deprive suspects arrested and detained by Police access to lawyers prior to recording their statement. This is through amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code. One of the main areas from which there are signs of strong opposition is the European Union. It fired its [...]
SriLankan clips wings of questions saying they are ‘personal matters’
SriLankan Airlines Chairman Ajith Dias and Chief Executive Officer Suren Ratwatte held a news conference this week at their plush office at the World Trade Centre. A journalist asked what action the airline management took on the J.C. Weliamuna probe on the national carrier’s activities during the previous regime. “It is not within our purview,” [...]
Northern Governor Cooray gets distinction in Tamil
It was tuition time again for the one-time school teacher who became the Governor of the Northern Province. Reginold Cooray, somewhat fluent in Tamil had begun learning advanced Tamil during his off hours in Jaffna. The result – he delivered a speech in impeccable Tamil at Neerveli after commissioning an electricity plant. Governor Cooray was [...]
Grand show for February 4
The 69th National Day celebrations on February 4 next year and the accompanying cultural events will be held on an elaborate scale in Colombo. The Cabinet of Ministers has appointed a committee chaired by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to formulate arrangements. Other members are Ministers John Ameratunga, Vajira Abeywardena, S.B. Nawinna, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, Gayantha Karunatilleke, [...]
Lankan Jonas missed the Thresher Sharks
An international conference to bring the global community together to tackle the world’s biggest wildlife challenges and opportunities took place in Johannesburg, South Africa last month. The event was also important to Sri Lanka as the country was proposing that a variety of sharks, the Thresher Sharks, be included in the endangered species list. A [...]
IGP fails in cocktail courtesy
Former Police Chief N.K. Illangakoon was annoyed that his successor Pujith Jayasundera had not followed a time-honoured tradition. That was for the incumbent Police Chief to personally extend an invitation to his predecessor for a cocktail party to mark the Police Department’s 150th anniversary. The invitation, instead, had been handed down to Mr. Illangakoon by [...]
Top post for RADA suspect
The Cabinet of Ministers has decided to appoint Saliya Wickremesuriya as Director General of the Petroleum Resources Development Secretariat on a contract basis. The decision came after a lengthy discussion by ministers. They decided to ask the Petroleum Resources Ministry Secretary to report back to the Cabinet on the status of the judicial proceedings against [...]
Cabinet to peruse Draft anti-terrorism bill to replace PTA
A draft Counter-Terrorism Bill to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act is expected to be presented to Cabinet next week but civil society experts are already expressing concern about several of its clauses. Among other things, the draft is expected to – as with the proposed amendment (37A) to the Criminal Procedure Code – deprive [...]
Karu receives memento from Swiss Speaker
The Speaker of the National Council of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland Ms Christa Markwalder was on a four day visit to Sri Lanka. During her visit she also called on Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. Ms Markwalder gifted a memento to Mr Jayasuriya to mark the visit.
Over Rs 1,819 billion for Govt. expenditure in 2017
Government’s estimated expenditure for 2017 will be over Rs 1,819 billion (Rs 1,819,544,000,000), according to the Appropriation Bill 2017 published in the Gazette this week. The limit on borrowings for 2017 has been set at Rs 1,489 billion (Rs 1,489,205,436,000). Defence Ministry Allocations for 2017 have taken a dip from the previous year, along with [...]
Right of reply
Ernst and Young, Chartered Accountants, has written to us in reference to our page 1 story last week “Another scandal reported at HSBC; forex law violations under probe” where it was stated that the firm was the auditors of HSBC. The firm states that they have not been the auditors of HSBC for over the [...]
SL taking over G24 chairmanship; Ravi says recognition for prudent economic management
Sri Lanka is to take over in 2018 the chairmanship of the G24 group representing 24 economically developing countries. Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said Sri Lanka had been recognised for its “prudent financial management in the region”. He was speaking to the Sunday Times on the sidelines of the annual International Monetary Fund/World Bank meetings [...]
Protests cause inconvenience
Several street protests on different issues in different parts of the country including Colombo this week caused severe inconvenience to the public with vehicles being held up for hours. A scene captured in Colombo during a protest.
Security guard attacked, nightclub damaged in brawl
Unidentified persons attacked a security guard and damaged glass window panels at a popular night club off Union Place (Dr Colvin R. de Silva Mw) in the early hours of yesterday, Police said. The group had assaulted the security after an argument had ensued. The security guard was rushed to the National Hospital where he [...]
PET/CT scanner tender award gets January 2017 deadline
The much-awaited tender for the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the PET/CT Scanner for the Apeksha Hospital (National Cancer Institute), Maharagama was announced last Monday by the Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Ministry. The tender is expected to be awarded by January 2017 the latest, official sources told the Sunday Times, adding that bids [...]
Bitter brew for low- country tea estates as drought hits
Severe drought conditions across the country are hitting crops hard, with bushes withering in some tea plantations, forcing some companies to cut work for estate workers. The tea does not taste as “strong, brisk and creamy as it did once,” says S. Satharasinghe, a professional tea-taster. Along with waning taste, the industry is grappling with [...]
Govt. bans smokeless tobacco products
The Government has made regulations prohibiting the manufacture, import and sale of smokeless tobacco products, as well as any electronic cigarettes or, any flavored, coloured or sweetened cigarettes that contain tobacco. The Regulations on Prohibited Tobacco Products have been made by Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, Dr Rajitha Senaratne, under the provisions of [...]
Photo focus: You won’t have to wait long for new govt: MR tells Ratnapura rally
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday claimed that the Joint Opposition (JO) was prepared to form a government with the support of a broad front. Addressing the JO rally in Ratnapura, Mr. Rajapaksa further added that the people would not have to wait “three or four years” for a new government, hinting at a possible change [...]
Wildlife desperate for water
As the drought worsens, not only humans but wild animals too are suffering, reports Malaka Rodrigo A family living in Hathporuwa, Sooriyawewa, had an unexpected visitor early morning on September 20 – an eight-foot crocodile. The family alerted Hambantota wildlife rangers who promptly responded. Later the same day, the same team of rangers had [...]
LTTE still very much alive in Tamil Nadu
The hospitalisation of Tamil Nadu (TN) Chief Minister (CM) Jayaraman Jayalalithaa, and the resultant uncertainties has brought to light one shocking revelation. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the infamous and dreaded terrorist organisation, which was fighting for the formation of an independent Eelam, is alive and a-kicking in India. Senior BJP leader and [...]
Plan expenditure reduction instead of tariff hike- Ministry to CEB
The Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy has directed the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to draft a plan to reduce expenditure in the coming months, to minimise the economic impact from the decision not to increase electricity tariffs, the Sunday Times learns. The Ministry this week announced it had rejected a proposal by the CEB [...]
Suspect sans Attorney till police record statement, a EU concern
The European Union (EU) this week voiced concern about the Government’s proposed amendment to the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) which will deny suspects the right to an attorney before the recording of their first statement by policeT. The amendment has been widely criticised by civil society and rejected by both the Human Rights Commission of [...]
Criminal Code Amendment Bill introduction deferred over public outcry
The Government has deferred the introduction to Parliament of the proposed Amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure (CoCP), which does not allow a person in police custody, access to an Attorney-at-law, till his statement is recorded, due to objections raised, said Minister of Justice Wijedasa Rajapaksha. “Objection to the Bill has been raised by [...]
Monster water tanks for the few choke off supply for the many
With more than 7,000 apartments set to be completed in the country, most of them in Colombo city and its suburbs, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) is hard-pressed to keep providing supply. Most of the 7,000 apartments, located in 150 buildings, have large underground tanks to store water, placing an extra burden [...]
Elders’ homes: A devolved subject makes monitoring difficult
The absence of a monitoring and regulation mechanism for elders’ homes has led to profiteering by unscrupulous groups preying on the misfortunes of one of society’s most vulnerable groups, a Sunday Times investigation found. Over 2.5 million Sri Lankans are now over 60-years-old, according to the 2012 Census of Population and Housing—a massive 12.4 percent [...]
Lanka sees increase in hazards in manufacturing, construction and tourism industries
It will be a conference with a difference. While there will be the singing of the National Anthem and the lighting of the traditional oil lamp, as are customary, five minutes will be devoted as the ‘Safety Moment’. This will comprise a presentation or video clip about what the participants should do in case of [...]
TUs – RPCs wage hike talks inconclusive
Several rounds of discussions with estate sector unions and the regional plantation companies facilitated by the Government towards reaching agreement on a wage hike ended inconclusively by Friday. On Wednesday the Government announced agreement had been reached with the estate workers to Rs.730 per day’s pay which would be an increase of Rs.110 from the [...]
New UN Chief: “Secretary” to the P5 – “General” to the Rest of the World
NEW YORK – When the 15-member Security Council decided, by acclamation, to recommend Antonio Guterres of Portugal as the new UN Secretary-General (UNSG), it also torpedoed two proposals on the negotiating table: a woman as the first UNSG, or in the alternative, an Eastern European as the first UNSG. But both proposals fell by the [...]
Refugees’ welcome mat has holes
Increasing numbers of Sri Lankan refugees are returning from South India but the government has run out of money in essential programmes to help them rebuild their lives. More than 550 refugees have returned to Sri Lanka this year to date, almost 20 per cent more than the total for last year. Most of them [...]
Trials to start for home-grown anti-venom
Researchers at the University of Peradeniya will next week begin clinical trials for new snake anti-venom that experts hope preclude the high rate of allergic reactions from imported medication. Indian-manufactured anti-venom serum is the main weapon used against the 50,000-plus snake bites recorded annually in Sri Lanka but as venom varies in snakes of different [...]