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In lottery draws, the winners are always the lucky ones. Overnight they become millionaires. However, there is also another category of winners who are lucky all the time the draws are held.

Those are the top level management and staff at the National Lotteries Board (NLB), one of two premier state-owned lottery operating enterprises under the Ministry of Finance. Their directors and senior staff are drawing fat cheques for what is called “draw allowances.” That is for just serving in a panel for an hour or less at the draw of the lottery. They are televised regularly and the event requires the presence of one director.

About Rs 8.1 million (or exactly Rs 8,146,750) has been drawn by the Chairman and four directors for ten months from January to October 2017. Only one director had declined payment and donated the only Rs 100,000 he received earlier to a homeless employee with children.

A breakdown of the figures shows that for the ten month period, the chairman drew a total of more than Rs 1.36 million. The total drawn by a working director amounted to more than Rs 2.3 million (or exactly Rs 2,355,500). Three other directors received Rs 1,407,250, Rs 1,395,000 and Rs 1,629,000.
Managers, Deputy General Managers, Assistant General Managers and other staff have drawn a whopping Rs 41 million (or exactly Rs 41,711,250) also from January to October this year.

A detailed list of the payments made has raised eyebrows in the Ministry of Finance. A senior ministry official said there have been instances where “draw allowances” have been obtained by those eligible by simply visiting the draw venue and signing in their presence. “We are examining the possibility of introducing a new scheme that will be monitored and supervised by the Ministry,” the official added.
A similar “draw allowance” is not adhered to by the National Development Lotteries Board (NLDB).

Marriage beyond party politics: President Maithripala Sirisena and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa posing with the newly married couple.

Maithri meets Mahinda at wedding banquet; sports minister plays double role
Official Government spokesperson and Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera seems adept not only at flexing his muscles but also his vocal chords given an opportunity – or grabbing one.

Earlier this week, he created history by ordering national cricketers headed for New Delhi off the aircraft. He was of course using his powers as Sports Minister saying he had not approved the team selection as required by the Sports Law. Later in the week, he was at the wedding of the son of State Minister Anura Yapa Abeywardena at the Shangri La Hotel to the granddaughter of a former UNP Cabinet Minister.

Dayasiri was at the bandstand. Taking the microphone from one of the vocalists, he sang a song. That he is a singer is well known. However, in this instance, featured in it were the names of both the groom and the bride.

And that wedding also had another happy augury. For the first time since the January 2015 presidential elections, President Sirisena and his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa met together. Even if it was more pleasantries that were exchanged, they also exchanged smiles.
There was a repeat meeting on the same night. It was at the wedding of a millionaire businessman’s daughter.

Rs. 29 billion shock for CEB
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is set to incur a loss of Rs 29 billion this year.
Latest statistics show that the sales revenue is at Rs 206 billion while other income took the figure to Rs 222 billion. The expenditure has been placed at Rs 287 leaving a deficit of 65 billion. Allowing for depreciation it would work out to the loss of Rs 29 billion.
This is besides the CEB requiring a further Rs 50 billion to buy emergency power.
These developments come at a time when the CEB has not launched any major programmes to enhance the country’s power output since 2014.

Police Commission grills IGP on charges by senior officers
The Police Commission on Thursday interviewed Police Chief Pujith Jayasundera on numerous complaints levelled against him by his own senior officers as in-fighting among the top brass reached peak levels.

At an earlier meeting, senior DIGs and top police officials spoke out critically against the IGP. As reported earlier, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Director Ravi Samaraweera disclosed that he had been given a list of mobile phone numbers to obtain details. He had learnt that those numbers belonged to senor Police officers including himself. Another senior DIG declared that their Chief made remarks that were a racial slur.

Armed with files and documents, IGP Jayasundera appeared before the Commission. He alleged that it was the senior DIG Samaraweera who had released to the media through a Cabinet Minister a clip of him reportedly attempting to assault the lift operator at Police Headquarters.

It was on the grounds that the lift operator had not observed morning prayer ceremonies as directed by the IGP. Samaraweera had earlier strongly denied the accusation that he was responsible for the leak of the cctv recording and said he was completely unaware of the incident. The IGP’s claim has raised other issues. According to one Commission source, it was an admission that a video clip on an alleged attempt at assault in fact existed. Mr. Jayasundera has also claimed that in respect of another officer, there were internal investigations under way.

The complaints by senior most officers to the Police Commission also saw another development this week. Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayake summoned them for a meeting where he said that differences of opinion existed in all institutions. He was attempting to make peace between the IGP and his senior Police officers.

Fuel shortage: Minister’s spot purchases an unknown reason
A Cabinet subcommittee named by President Maithripala Sirisena to ascertain reasons for the recent countrywide shortage of petrol found some other revealing facts too.

One of them is a directive by Petroleum Resources Minister Arjuna Ranatunga earlier to cancel three long term contracts and resort to spot buying of fuel. Most were spot purchases thereafter and inadequate buffer stocks was the main cause for the shortage, the Subcommittee held.
Spot purchases are made at market rates prevailing at the time while long term contracts are negotiated at a price considered reasonable for a longer period.

Then, Minister Ranatunga last Tuesday proposed at the weekly ministerial meeting that the state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) should resort to long term contracts. President Sirisena directed the Cabinet subcommittee, to continue functioning at his request, to discuss the matter with Minister Ranatunga, and take a suitable decision.

The Cabinet Subcommittee comprises Sarath Amunugama, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Patali Champika Ranawaka and Chandima Weerakkody.
As reported earlier, President Sirisena, meanwhile, wants to re-constitute the board of directors of the CPC. The budget debate which ended yesterday had been the cause for the delay.

Go join Basil if you want to, Kabir tells Rishad
Partners of the United National Front (UNF), the UNP-led front contesting the local polls, are at each other over the allocation of candidate quotas for them.Tough exchange of words was taking place between them and UNP General Secretary Kabir Hashim.
One such case was where the All Ceylon Makkal Katchi or the All Ceylon People’s Party leader Minister Rishad Bathiudeen complained he was being badly treated.
“When we were on the other side, even Basil Rajapaksa treated us right royally,” thundered Mr Bathiuddin. “Then go and join him,” retorted Mr. Hashim.

Malaysia’s envoy recalled ahead of PM’s visit
The Malaysian Government has re-called its envoy Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah just days before Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak arrives in Sri Lanka for a two-day official visit.

Diplomatic sources in Colombo said a high level team from the Malaysian Foreign Ministry will arrive as an advance party to help in Premier Najib’s
visit. Though the recall itself is due to a serious issue, these sources were unaware of what exactly triggered the visit of the advanced party before the Malaysian PM arrived.

Premier Najib Razak and an official entourage are due to arrive in Colombo on the night of December 17 and depart on 19.