Untitled Document

News

Minister moves off the beaten track
By Shelani Perera
The Director of Wildlife Conservation Dayananda Kariyawasam this week called for a report from the Assistant Director of the Yala park regarding an alleged incident where a Cabinet Minister and his family members drove outside a permitted track while on Safari.

Mr. Kariyawasam told The Sunday Times that the Department was awaiting the report before investigating the incident. " We will check whether the tracker lodged the complaint before the visitors left the park., enabling the visitors to record their statement regards the violation," he said.

The incident occurred two weeks ago when several groups of visitors to the Yala National Park complained to the Wild Life Department about Minister of Home Affairs and Provincial Council Alick Aluvihare and his family who broke park rules by allegedly going outside the track for a better view of a wild elephant The Sunday Times learns that where visitors violate park rules action is taken against the tracker in charge of the group for failing to prevent such an incident.

Meanwhile Mr. Daljith Aluvihare son of Minister Alick Aluvihare told The Sunday Times that two vehicles did go on a safari, but denied violating any park rules by going off the track.

" The only time we stopped the vehicle and that too on the main road was to let the engine of our back up vehicle cool down. We were not informed of any violation by any official" said Mr. Aluvihare.

Rise in fuel prices eminent
By Tania Fernando
The prices of petrol and diesel are to be revised on the 25th of this month. With the upward trend in world oil prices, it is likely that the prices in Sri Lanka too will be increased.

Ceylon Petroleum Corporation sources said that in keeping with the new policy of the CPC an increase in world prices would reflect on the local market prices. However, it is left to Government to maintain the prices at the current levels if it chooses to do so.

The maximum amount the petrol/diesel price can be revised is by Rs. 2/- This new method of revising prices to keep abreast with world prices commenced in January this year.

The price of petrol which was Rs. 50 was reduced to Rs. 49 in February and increased to Rs. 50 in March and later increased to Rs. 52 in April, while the diesel price was reduced to Rs. 26 from Rs. 26.50 in February was increased to Rs. 26.50 in March and to the current price of Rs. 28 in April.

The CPC sources also said that before prices are revised the average world price of the previous month and the exchange rate is taken into account.

Back to News