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It is a known secret in the state bureaucracy circles that the transfer process of government employees is highly politicised.

It is said that those who encounter problems in receiving transfer postings near their hometowns or resist transfers outside the home turf or their preferred locations often use political influences ‘at whatever cost.’

The issue arose at a Jaffna event when Northern Governor N. Vedanayagan addressed a meeting, quipping that several officers became either sick with non-communicable diseases or felt the need to care for their elderly parents only after receiving a transfer letter. The governor highlighted that these reasons, put forward by those who preferred not to take up a job in a different district or province, were all too common.

“When it comes to transfers, we realised that most of them are sick or taking care of their parents to their maximum capacity. There’s a common opinion that many children are dumping their parents at elders’ homes, but I’m glad to see there are children who really care for their parents. It would be even better if they brought their elderly parents to their newly designated transferred area as well,” the Governor said. As the governor was making the statement, some state officials in the audience wondered whether he was being sarcastic or really appreciating their responsibilities towards their parents.

Forest Dept. delays major cause for shrinking forest cover

Delays on the part of the Department of Forest Conservation (DFC) in gazetting the forests under its purview as forest reserves have resulted in the encroachment of forest land, according to the National Audit Office.

It notes that often the DFC is forced to delist these encroached lands as forest reserves, and this has led to a reduction in the country’s natural forest cover and impeded attempts to reach the sustainable development goals.

The NAO’s observation can be found in the DFC’s Performance Report for 2023, which was recently tabled in Parliament.  The NAO says its field investigations found that 147 forests covering 25,892 hectares in the Monaragala district had not been gazetted as forest reserves since 2021, while 64 forests covering 22,657 hectares in the Ampara district have not been gazetted as forest reserves since 2019.

The seized pesticide were being loaded on to a lorry

Weather disasters fuel surge in pesticide smuggling from Tamil Nadu

Palk Strait smuggling activities have been going on for quite some time, with frequent detections of Kerala cannabis, sea cucumbers, and other items. The new item in the list is agrarian pesticide due to the acute shortage of pesticides in the local market after the recent floods in the Northern regions.

Erratic rains coupled with unpredictable weather patterns forced farmers to look for more efficient pesticides. A joint operation launched by the Army and Special Task Force (STF) resulted in the seizure of a haul of pesticides on Friday at Kayts in Jaffna. The contraband is worth Rs 50 million.

At least three suspects were taken into custody. Authorities believe that the pesticides were being smuggled from Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu.

In Kilinochchi, a farmer whose crop was partially damaged due to recent floods said that they were trying their best to save whatever was left of their crops for the harvest by any means.

Left-right mix-up: Deputy Minister Namal Karunathilake hoisting the national flag attached to the flagpole on the wrong side

Catching the lion by the tail

Agriculture and Livestock Deputy Minister Namal Karunaratne participated in the launch of the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ programme at the Agriculture Ministry premises in Battaramulla on Wednesday.

The Deputy Minister duly hoisted the national flag at the ceremony and addressed the staff at the start of the first working day of the New Year. He also spoke briefly to the media afterwards.

However, what caught the attention of eagle-eyed onlookers later was that the national flag hoisted by the deputy minister was facing the wrong way due to a left-right mix-up, with the Lion with a sword on the flag hanging by its tail. It had been incorrectly fastened onto the flagpole. The deputy minister was obviously blameless for the whole fiasco since he only hoisted the flag that had been attached to the flagpole. But it does raise serious questions about the officials who organised the ceremony.

Health Minister flayed for unhealthy remarks

Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa on Friday was forced to clarify controversial remarks he made during the inauguration of the country’s first and only bone marrow transplant unit at the Apeksha Hospital in Maharagama.

The unit was constructed at a cost of Rs. 176 million from funds donated by the Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Devalaya. The health minister’s speech during Thursday’s inauguration ceremony was roundly criticised in many quarters. Some accused him of being dismissive and even insulting of those who had donated funds to build the unit at the hospital.

During his speech, Dr. Jayatissa said that henceforth, people would not be able to assist a hospital based solely on a political motive or on compassionate grounds. Even if the donation was made in good faith, it becomes a burden on the Health Ministry and the State after a few years. That portion of the speech triggered a firestorm of criticism from opposition parties.

The opposition SJB claimed it was aimed at its ‘Husma’ project that funds private hospitals.

However, speaking during a media briefing later, Minister Jayatissa pointed out that he did thank all those who contributed—technically, financially, and physically—to the construction of the bone marrow transplant unit at the start of his speech. He denied that he had rejected public donations to the health sector. He clarified that he only spoke of the Health Ministry’s intention to streamline funds received from the Treasury, the public, and international organisations so that these funds could be channelled towards specific targets according to a proper plan.

He added that the unit that was inaugurated was an essential segment for the Apeksha Hospital and that some elements were taking a small part of his speech out of context to attack him.

While there is no debate on the health minister’s message that the process of utilising the funds should be streamlined for more effective utilisation, the question is whether he chose the appropriate occasion to outline his views. The bone marrow transplant unit, after all, is a long-felt need for the country and had been built using money donated by the public in good faith.

Wild elephants don’t like signboards

In the Matale District’s Moraghakanda reservoir reserve, wild elephants have been breaking down the signboards put up by the government warning people about the threat from elephants on roads that lead to the reserve.

The broken-down signboards obviously confirm that officials have indeed put up the warning signs at the perfect locations.

However, this has posed a danger to visitors who are unaware that wild elephants frequent the area.

Police play pirate to scare people

Since the new government came to office, the Sri Lanka Police have upped their social media presence to get messages through to the public.

While some have been attractive, others have been in poor taste, such as the recent one posted of a pirate’s skull-and-swords image with a pirate in the background stating, “If you are involved in a crime, there will be no escape from the Sri Lanka Police.” While it’s understandable the Police are keen to send a message to criminals, putting fearsome images will do little to build public confidence in the police, who need to adopt a more sombre and humane way to reach out to the people.

Police probe fake audio clip on Clean Sri Lanka

Police have begun investigations into a fake audio clip circulating on social media regarding the government’s ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ initiative.

In the audio clip titled “Special announcement from the police to the public parallel to the Clean Sri Lanka 2025 programme,’ the narrator cites a section of the Police Ordinance and claims that the people are required to keep the area in front of their houses clean, among other matters. The recording claims that those who fail to carry out the instructions are liable to face legal action with effect from January 1, 2025.

The Police Media Unit yesterday emphasised that no such recording has been released by them and that its contents were “completely false.” A probe has been launched to identify the person who circulated the fake audio clip, it added.

Thalatha, first woman secretary of a leading political party

Former Ratnapura District parliamentarian Thalatha Athukorala was appointed general secretary of the United National Party (UNP) on Friday, making her the first woman to hold the post in a leading political party in the country.

She is the 26th general secretary of the UNP, which was founded on September 6, 1946. Ms. Athukorala succeeded former parliamentarian Palitha Range Bandara, who held the post previously. Her brother Gamini Athukorala served as an assistant leader of the UNP before he passed away in 2002.

Ms. Athukorale quit the UNP and joined the breakaway Samagi Jana Balawegaya led by Sajith Premadasa, only to be disillusioned with that party and return to the fold of the UNP. She becomes secretary at a time when some members in both factions are seeking ways and means to unite under the UNP’s elephant symbol after years in the opposition, with the solitary exception of the UNP leader, Ranil Wikremesinghe, becoming president, backed by an opposition party, the SLPP.