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In the backdrop of landfilling for the controversial Port City project, Navy girls are seen rehearsing at the Galle Face Green yesterday for the February 4th Independence Day.
Horana tyre factory: Land clearing suspended on President’s orders
The clearing of land in Horana for the setting up of businessman Nandana Lokuwithana’s tyre factory was suspended by the Board of Investment (BOI) this week. Security officers were sent to the 100-acre site in Wagawatta on President Mathripala Sirisena’s instructions after he learnt the tycoon was levelling the earth before signing the lease with [...]
Central Expressway: Top Japanese team here to push through tender
A large Japanese delegation, headed by an adviser to the Japanese Prime Minister, was in Sri Lanka this week to push through a tender for the third section of the Central Expressway (CE III). The visit came amidst reports that Fujita Corporation, the Japanese construction company which offered a lower bid to build the road, [...]
Coal purchases under heavy fire by AG
The Auditor General has recommended that a formal and practical Annual Procurement Plan be put in place to avoid malpractices in coal purchases by the Government. This comes after an audit probe found estimated losses amounting to more than Rs. 4,145.43 million due to irregularities in coal purchases between 2009 and 2016. The Special Audit [...]
Controversy arises over eight containers of motor spare parts
Amid complex legal issues, the Finance Ministry has directed the Customs to release eight containers carrying motor vehicle spare parts. The Ministry’s directive to release the detained containers was sent to the Customs’ Director General this week on the grounds that a Cabinet Sub Committee chaired by the Transport and Civil Aviation Minister had recommended [...]
Dispute over computers hinders tax collection
Inland Revenue Department trade unions have raised the issue of confidential information ‘leaking’ to outsiders because of a Finance Ministry proposal that computers required by the department should be leased instead of making outright purchases. The trade unions have rejected the proposal to lease out computers claiming that if maintenance of the new computers is [...]
SL to issue formal response to UN report on torture
The Government will issue a formal response to a damning UN report that found that a “culture of torture” was still used by various security agencies, when the report is submitted at the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC) sessions in March, a Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman said. The report was compiled by Juan [...]
Disappeared people: Fast called off after assurance by Ruwan
Senior ministers will meet relatives of disappeared people next month to explain the measures the Government is taking to find their whereabouts. Fourteen Vavuniya residents whose loved ones were either arrested or handed over to the military during the war began a fast unto death on Monday, claiming the Government has failed to take effective [...]
RTI Act gazetted sans RTI Commissions’ fees, appeals rules
The Ministry of Mass Media responsible for the implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act this week gazetted the law to become operational across all public authorities from next Friday (February 3), but for citizens to be able to practically use it, the ministry must also gazette the rules on fees and appeals drafted [...]
Sweeping tax concessions for Tata to resume real-estate project
The Government has given the go-ahead for the Indian real estate giant Tata to carry out a re-development and mixed-development project on eight acres of land in Kompannveediya. The Gazette notification to grant sweeping tax concessions to the project company One-Colombo Project (Pvt) Ltd was published this week. The company will invest US$ 429.5 million [...]
Welder repairing water bowser dies of electrocution
A welder who was repairing a water bowser in Peliyagoda was electrocuted, a coroner’s court was told yesterday. The victim was Liyanaralalage Pathum Cooray, 32, a father of one child residing in Nagoda, Kalutara. Anton Rodney a co worker said Pathum was emerging out of the tank he was attending to when suddenly there was [...]
Corruption charges tossed from one side to the other; Sampanthan hits all round
A day long debate was held in Parliament on Tuesday on the report of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) on the questionable treasury bond auction that took place in February, 2015. Here are some views expressed by MPs from all parties: Anura Dissanayaka: Chief Opposition Whip and MP This Government came to power on [...]
RDA says solutions to Kandy’s traffic problems on the way
After years of searching for solutions to ease traffic blocks in Kandy, the Road Development Authority (RDA) says it is finally ready to implement the first phase of a plan to ease the traffic jams on Sri Sangharaja Mawatha, via a new route along the Tennakumbura – Mahiyangana Road. The project is estimated to cost [...]
Govt. to ‘buy time’ at UNHRC in March: FM
The Government will go for a “technical rollover resolution” or, a procedural extension that will allow it more time to implement its undertakings– when Sri Lanka is taken up at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) next month. This was revealed by Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera while taking questions at Chatham House earlier this month. [...]
Auditor General refutes Finance Minister’s allegations
Auditor General (AG) Gamini Wijesinghe who came under fire this week from Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, said he had followed proper procedure when submitting a report on the Treasury Bond (TB) issues, and refuted allegations he had submitted the Report without signing it. “In a letter the Finance Minister wrote to me this week, he [...]
India has abiding interest in Lanka’s security, says New HC
India’s new High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Taranjit Singh Sandhu presented his credentials to President MaithripalaSirisena this week and hosted the Indian community and local dignitaries to a reception at ‘India House’ to mark his country’s 68th Republic Day. High Commissioner Sandhu served in Sri Lanka previously as a senior diplomat heading the Political Desk [...]
Pararajasingham killing: AG indicts Pillayan and six others
The Attorney General (AG) has filed indictments in the Batticaloa High Court against former Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias ‘Pillayan’ and six others over the assassination of parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham. Mr. Pararajasingham, a senior parliamentarian of the Tamil United Liberation Front, was shot dead inside a church in Batticaloa on Christmas Day in [...]
Regulations to checkmate threewheelers
New, tough regulations governing threewheelers carrying passengers will come into effect from April, said Transport Ministry Secretary Nihal Somaweera. The new laws, cited as the Motor Traffic (Motor Tricycle) Regulations, make it mandatory for threewheelers plying passengers for hire, to have meters, while receipts too will have to be issued to passengers. Mr Somaweera told [...]
All stolen property to be returned to the people: MR at JO rally
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday (27) pledged to return everything the present Government has allegedly stolen, back to the people, when he regains power. Mr Rajapaksa made the pledge while addressing the crowd during the ‘Peraliyaka Erambuma’ protest rally organised in Nugegoda, by the ‘Joint Opposition’ (JO). Mr Rajapaksa further told the crowd that [...]
Galle Face Green gets ready for 69th Independence Day
Preparations are underway to celebrate the country’s 69th Independence next Saturday. The main celebration will be held at Galle Face Green commencing at 8 a.m.with the participation of over 8000 personnel from the tri forces at the traditional victory parade and ceremony. President Maithripala Sirisena will be the Chief guest at the celebrations while Prime [...]
Days are numbered for destructive trawling in Sri Lanka
Trawling, the notoriously destructive fishing method, in which nets are dragged by fishing vessels along the sea floor, are expected to be outlawed in Sri Lanka. The Fisheries Ministry is expected to submit a bill to the parliament by early next month to ban trawling. Many countries have banned trawling due to its destructive nature. [...]
Dengue mainly reported from densely populated areas of Colombo
Colombo district continues to be the most vulnerable to dengue with 1828 of the 6508 cases reported from around the country, being attributed to the district. Commenting on the most recent three-day dengue eradication programme conducted by the CMC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ruwan Wijayamuni said more than 2000 state and private institutions had been [...]
Beruwala: Anchored boats in harbour breeding mosquitos
A dengue eradication programme was launched by health officials in the Beruwala Municipality Division following 55 dengue cases being reported doe this month in the area. Boats anchored in the Beruwala Fishing harbour were identified as a key mosquito breeding sites during the inspection carried out as part of the programme “Thousands of mosquito larvae [...]
Eating croton and jak leaves: I was misquoted, says Agri DG
A distortion of parts of a presentation he delivered at a workshop is being used by those with a political agenda, Director General (DG)- Dept of Agriculture, Dr. Rohan Wijekoon charged. A statement attributed to the DG, telling people to eat croton and jak leaves during the drought, has caused widespread controversy over the past [...]
Let’s save our wild elephants
Tiny babies in crisis — searing, heartbreaking, stark and haunting images that will never be forgotten, words being inadequate to describe them fully. As the images captured from different parts of the country stilled all activity in a room of the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute in Colombo 7 on Tuesday, the disturbing thought that rushed [...]
Support DWC to withstand political pressure – Dr. Pilapitiya
“Any development programme in the country conducted in an area with elephants needs to have an elephant management strategy,” reiterated the workshop’s moderator, former DWC Director-General Dr. Sumith Pilapitiya, setting the right tone. Pointing out categorically that neither development nor conservation can be carried out in isolation, he stressed that the DWC which had come [...]
Farmers demand Rs 50,000 per acre for crop damage
Farmers whose crop was devastated by the severe drought are demanding financial compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre, although the island has experienced patches of rain in recent days. A farmer group says 500,000 hectares of paddy had been abandoned because of the drought. Agriculture officials say there could be a rice scarcity because the [...]
National Road Safety Profile to curb road deaths
Sri Lanka will introduce a National Road Safety Profile (NRSP)– to give an insight into the spiraling number of accidents on our roads, and to help curb it. National Road Safety Council (NRSC) Chairman, Sisira Kodagoda said discussions have been started with UN and WHO officials to draw up a plan to be adopted as [...]
Teach methods to help prevent drowning tragedies, life-savers urge
Raise further awareness in the country about life-saving techniques and first aid to help prevent continuing deaths from drowning, experts plead. Tragedies are continuing and many who die from drowning are young. Two youths who jumped into the Mahaweli river in Gampola hoping to help their friends from drowning were among eight young people including [...]
Angry villagers rattle weak-kneed regulator over mini-hydro disasters
Villagers troubled by the damage to the environment caused by mini-hydro power projects joined environment groups on Monday to take their anger to the doorsteps of the Central Environment Authority. More than 200 villagers from different parts of Sri Lanka were among the protesters who denounced the projects. “We decided to protest as a last [...]
Warning bells and lights at unprotected railway crossings
Unprotected rail crossings islandwide will be provided a bell and warning light system, Assistant Superintendent of the Railway Protection Force (Central Division) Gonsalves Sumith said. He said the bell and light system would be installed in three stages and as an additional protective measure humps will also be constructed close to the nearly 600 odd [...]
35,000 kilos of rice unfit for human consumption seized
A stock of 35,000 kilos of imported rice unsuitable for human consumption was seized in Kekirawa on Friday night while the stock was being prepared to be sent back to the market, Palagala Medical Officer of Health (MOH) Dr. Srimal Withanaarachchi said. Following a tip from area residents officers had raided the store, in Kekirawa, [...]
No longer the world’s loneliest airport
The resurfacing of the runway at the Bandaranaike International Airport at Katunayake, has resulted in a restriction in flights to and from that airport. This has led to many flights being diverted to the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport and a marked increase in passenger traffic there. SriLankan Airlines flights to Beijing and Shanghai, as well [...]
Humphead wrasse killing stirs calls for protection and spearfishing ban
Declare the endangered humphead wrasse as a protected species in Sri Lanka and ban spearfishing, researchers of aquatic resources, diving groups and conservationists demand. An environment lawyer says spearfishing can be banned under existing laws. Outrage grew after pictures emerged showing a human-sized humphead wrasse, (cheilinus undulates) also known as Napoleon wrasse, being hauled ashore [...]