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Home » NewsAngry people show red light for bike rally; organisers say no political links
The multimillion-rupee racing bike and SUV rally that caused public outrage this week comprised at least 600 fuel-guzzling vehicles speeding in procession with police escort, by admission of its organiser, Spin Riders’ Club Founder Sajina Sithmal. Mr Sithmal denied any ruling party patronage for the event but grudgingly acknowledged that members with political ties may [...]
After milk food price hike, electricity rates to go up
A string of price increases, including electricity and gas price hikes, is to follow hard on the heels of the milk food price increase put into effect last night. Powdered milk importers yesterday decided to increase the prices once again on the grounds of a price hike in the global market and the appreciation of [...]
Mass-scale dispossession feared; new Bill permits grant land mortgage without state oversight
A legal amendment that allows rural families to mortgage grant lands without State oversight will lead to mass-scale dispossession, with properties everywhere being seized by financial institutions when their impoverished owners are unable to pay their dues, community organisations have overwhelmingly warned. The Land Development Ordinance (LDO) (Amendment) Bill got through the second reading in [...]
Senior citizens’ FDs: Account holders need to show up at banks for renewal every year
The Central Bank (CBSL) has instructed licensed commercial banks to convert senior citizens’ fixed deposit (FD) accounts that fall under the special high interest rate scheme to normal FD accounts — unless the account holders present themselves before the banks and make a written request to extend the scheme by another year. Accordingly, any senior [...]
Cabinet approval sought to buy UAE crude for Sapugaskanda
The Energy Ministry will submit a cabinet paper next week to seek approval to purchase crude oil from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a 200-day credit period to keep the Sapugaskanda refinery running. The move comes as the Sapugaskanda refinery is due to be shut down for the third consecutive time since December last [...]
70-year-old man dies in kerosene queue
A 70-year-old man who had been standing for a long time in a kerosene queue in Kandy died after he collapsed, Police said. He died on admission to the Kandy hospital. The man was identified as Mohamed Iliyas from Udathalawinna in Wattegama. Eyewitnesses said the man had been waiting in the queue for a long [...]
Veda Karana Ape Viruwa: From Campaign hit to anthem of broken promises
As a long line of vehicles wait for fuel at a filling station in Galle, two young men, one with guitar in hand, start singing the first few lines of “Veda Karana Ape Viruwa” (The Hero Who Delivers). Some of the motorists waiting in line can barely keep a straight face. The video of the [...]
Journalism Awards for Excellence on March 22
The 19th and 20th Editions of the Journalism Awards for Excellence programme will culminate with the presentation of Awards on Tuesday, March 22, 2022 at the ‘Blue’, Colombo Hilton Hotel, a Press Release from the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) said. The annual Awards Night for the years 2020 and 2021 had to be postponed [...]
Builders ask, where’s the cement despite new factory?
An unprecedented increase in the price of cement, building materials and fittings in the past several months has halted many development projects, causing more than 600,000 job losses, industry sources said. Contractors claimed that the lack of building materials and the manipulation of prices by unscrupulous traders had brought projects to a halt. The industry [...]
Moragahakanda dams trigger avalanche of ecological harms
Environmentalist says Moragahakanda is the most destructive project of all Mahaweli Development initiatives Bad planning causes ecological disruption; elephant corridors destroyed aggravating human-elephant conflict; river fish face extinction The waters of the Amban Ganga on either side, we crossed the towering Moragahakanda dam, the latest addition to the Accelerated Mahaweli Scheme. And on the eastern side of [...]
Analysts see geopolitical designs behind India’s largesse
Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa’s claim this week that there were no conditions attached to the US$ 1 billion Indian credit line was met with outright scepticism by economists while others called for caution, at least going forward. “It’s a game of chess and India has checkmated us in such a fashion that we don’t have [...]
No more private vehicles for state bodies
Contracts for private vehicles that were obtained by government agencies under the operational leasing method will not be extended in future once existing agreements for five years lapsed, a circular from the Treasury said. Issuing a circular to ministry secretaries, provincial councils chief secretaries, departments and state institution heads, Treasury Secretary S. R. Attygalle has [...]
‘A health contingency plan essential to face SL’s economic crisis’
The country’s situation is dire, warned the Government Medical Professionals’ Association (GMPA) this week, urging the health sector to take stock and set out a contingency plan to meet the looming crisis of lack of medicines, consumables and even electricity and fuel to run emergency services, especially in a pandemic situation. “When a country is [...]
No paper for bills, question papers; focus on digital systems
A growing paper shortage is forcing the Ministry of Public Services to turn to digital platforms – including social media – for inter-departmental communications, and the Western Province Ministry of Education to postpone term examinations in schools in order to overcome a shortage in printing material. Public Services, Provincial Councils and Local government Ministry Secretary [...]
Pandemic is not over – WHO
COVID-19 numbers are on the rise globally especially in parts of Asia, cautioned the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus this week. He told the media that these increases are occurring despite reductions in testing in some countries, which means the cases “we are seeing are just the tip of [...]
National COVID-19 Positive Hospital for Psychiatric Patients in Udagama-Atabage closed
A very vulnerable group of people pushed further into oblivion – causing much concern among many healthcare staff. The very first National COVID-19 Positive Hospital for Psychiatric Patients set up in hilly Udagama, Atabage, eight kilometres from Gampola which opened its welcoming doors for patients on July 30, last year (2021) is now shut. The [...]
Need for mental health clinics in prisons
Appealing to his colleagues to start a prison clinic in their areas, Dr. Gihan Abeywardena said that a study at the Bogambara Prison had revealed that 79.2% of prisoners on death row suffer from some kind of mental illness and 58.3% of them were clinically depressed. He had begun clinics at Bogambara, Anuradhapura and Wariyapola [...]
Regional Director seeks Health Ministry support to staff and restore hospital to positive mentally-ill patients
“If we get the support of the Health Ministry to get a proper staff cadre from the Kandy, Peradeniya and Gampola Hospitals which come under the ministry, we can revert the Udagama-Atabage Hospital to treat COVID-19 positive patients who are mentally ill,” said the Kandy Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Senaka Thalagala when contacted [...]
Unions alarmed at schools being billed for water
Education sector trade unions have expressed fears that a decision by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board to make state run schools pay for water will ultimately be passed on to parents. The chairman of the Water Board, Nishantha Ranatunga, accepted that water bills are being sent to schools but refused further comment. However, [...]
Displaced Tamil returnees yearn to rebuild lives amid multiple hurdles
Rasaiyah Pathmanathan had many plans for restarting a life in Sri Lanka when one day he wanted to return after spending more than three decades in Puzal, a suburban town some 14 kilometres from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. But the coronavirus disease pandemic spread in late 2019 and his return journey was postponed indefinitely. “We planned [...]
Water Minister Vasu remains fluid; won’t resign despite Govt. decision to seek IMF help
He now says will quit only if Govt. accepts the Fund’s conditions that go against public welfare Hits out at Basil, says Finance Minister has his own agenda within the cabinet A day after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa sacked Ministers Wimal Weerawansa and Udaya Gammanpila from the Cabinet, Water Supply Minister Vasudewa Nanayakkara announced he would [...]
Pick of the pix
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Tourists hobbled by unprecedented economic calamity say never again
Sri Lanka attracted 230,000 tourists as at March 15, however, the daily power cuts and the diesel shortage has resulted in negative publicity overseas for an industry still trying to recover from the Easter attacks and the coronavirus pandemic. Tourism is an important foreign exchange earner for Sri Lanka. But problems have been multiplying, and [...]
Govt. reverses policy on subsidy for chemical fertiliser for paddy farmers
The government has reversed its fertiliser policy not to grant subsidy for chemical fertiliser and is to import 38,500 metric tonnes of Pottasium Choloride (KCL) to be distributed under a state subsidy scheme to farmers for the upcoming Yala season. The State Ministry responsible for the Promotion of the Production and Regulation of the Supply [...]
Attack on journalist’s resident: Several statements recorded but no suspects identified
Three Police teams investigating the attack on journalist Chamuditha Samarawickrama’s residence in Piliyandala are still waiting for reports pertaining to the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera footage of the incident from the Moratuwa University to identify the two vehicles used by the attackers. The Police teams are currently doing technical analysis to identify the suspects [...]
Pigeon orchid blooms adding fragrance to the grumpy moods
While the economic hardships, fuel shortages and power cuts add a gloomy undertone, nature however, looks to reconcile troubled minds adding fragrance to gardens in many areas through the blooming of pigeon orchids (Dendrobium crumenatum) this week. Resembling the shape of a pigeon, this white orchid known as ‘parevi mal’ in Sinhala blooms in numbers [...]
CEB’s major defaulters remain at large, arrears mount
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB)’s unpaid dues from customers including from State institutions and MPs, stood at a whopping Rs 38.76bn at the end of February this year, while it continues to rack up arrears and issue fresh bills amounting to millions of rupees. Bulk electricity consumers – general-purpose, industrial religious, Government, domestic, hotel and [...]
A bridge too far
The old stairway and wooden bridge leading to Halaba via Deegalla, Panakanniya in the Hali Ela Pradeshiya Sabha are in dilapidated conditions, residents of the area point out. This was an old path used by village folk in Hali Ela, Deegalla, Panakanniya to reach Bogoda and Halba areas. Stating their grievances residents of the area [...]