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low-cost medicinal drugs soon STCM Chairman Lal Chandrasena said the quality drugs at affordable prices were now available at CWE pharmacies and at selected private pharmacies with the maximum retail prices marked. Prof. Chandrasena, a veteran bio-chemist said the new company was importing the essential drugs mainly from India and he assured that the quality of the drugs was fully tested and guaranteed. The new company was set up by the Consumer Affairs Ministry to spearhead a campaign to slash the prices of medicinal drugs by about 50% and thus bring down the cost of living. The STCM in
an announcement gave the maximum retail prices of the five essential
drugs: Erythromycin (antibiotic) - Rs. 2.76 a tablet; Cefalexin
(antibiotic) - Rs. 2.64, Amoxycilline (antibiotic) - Rs. 1.57 ,
Atenalol - 36 cts and Metformin - 36 cts.
JVP Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa told The Sunday Times at least three more rounds of intensive talks were scheduled to be held this month along with the signing of the MoU. He said the third round of talks would be critical as a decision would be taken there on a new symbol and a name for the new alliance while an SLFP source indicated such a deal might mean the end of the People's Alliance. The other PA constituent parties, including the LSSP and the CP, are known to be having serious reservations about a new alliance with the JVP, especially because of the JVP's hardline policy on the ethnic conflict. Thus question marks hang over what the LSSP and the CP would do if President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the SLFP leadership decide to go it fully with the JVP. Informed sources said that while the SLFP was insisting on a change in the JVP policy on the ethnic conflict, the JVP was asking the SLFP to change its policy on the market economy and related areas like privatisation. They said that as part of a compromise on the ethnic issue, the JVP might agree to something like the Indian federal model. Constitutional
Council not panacea for all ills: Speaker He said that although it is " an important step in the direction of good governance it should not cause a thrill of delirious joy throughout the country, as though at last a sovereign medicine has been found". "Formidable difficulties lie ahead for those who will serve in high office and as members of the commissions, as well as for each and every citizen concerned with the welfare of our nation," the Speaker said. The law enabling the creation of the Council came into being in October 2001 when the Speaker certified the 17th Amendment to the Constitution. The Council's members were appointed by March 2002. The report
states that although the concept of an institution akin to the CC
was not entirely novel there was no practical examples from other
countries to follow. Hence the Council has taken time to formulate and set out criteria and guidelines for itself, obtain information regarding potential appointees to the numerous commissions and evaluate according to the law the competing claims of persons nominated for appointment to the commission. During the period under review, the Council approved several important appointments such as Justice T.B.Weerasuriya to the Supreme Court, Justice N.A.C.N.de S.Jayasinghe as the President of the Court of Appeal, Ms.Puwalasiri Wijeratne and Kangasabapathy Sripavan as Judges of the Court of Appeal, Ms.Priyanee Wijesekera as the Acting Secretary General of Parliament and T.E.Anandarajah as the Inspector General of Police. The Council also recommended appointments to several commissions including the Election Commission, the Public Service Commission, the National Police Commission, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, the Finance Commission, the Delimitation Commission and the Parliamentary Scholarships Board. |
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