Columns

Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Minister Sunil Handunnetti found an unexpected ally in Badulla District New Democratic Front (NDF) Parliamentarian Chamara Sampath Dassanayake during an exchange in Parliament on Thursday regarding the government’s decision to increase the price of ethanol to Rs. 800 a litre.

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauff Hakeem pointed out that the increase in the price of ethanol would result in an increase in liquor prices, pushing more people towards illicit liquor such as Kasippu. This in turn would result in loss of revenue for the government from liquor sales, making it difficult for the government to meet its tax revenue targets.

Minister Handunetti agreed but pointed out that liquor prices remained the same even when the price of ethanol went up to Rs. 1500.

“Distillery companies sold a bottle of arrack at Rs. 3500-4000 then. Even when ethanol is at Rs 475 per litre now, they are still selling a bottle of arrack at the same price. A litre of ethanol sold at Rs 475 per litre can be used to produce three bottles of arrack. So imagine how cheap an arrack bottle can be. So the companies won’t suffer a loss even if a litre of ethanol goes up to Rs. 800,” he said.

The minister also alleged that some officials at the Finance Ministry were in the pay of distillery companies and were sabotaging efforts to bring a fair solution. He pledged to expose them in Parliament in the coming days.

Minister Handunnetti then asked MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake for his support since he had long fought against the high price of liquor.

Mr. Dassanayake, who has often been at loggerheads with government ministers, agreed with Minister Handunnetti. “There is truth in what the minister says. A bottle of arrack is now Rs. 3600. The companies won’t suffer a loss even if ethanol is sold at Rs. 1200 per litre. I urge the minister to even increase ethanol up to Rs. 1200 to ensure that the two state-run sugar companies aren’t shut down. These two are the only sugar companies we have left,” he stressed.

Deputy Transport Minister’s Railway station interview: Coincidence or staged?

Deputy Transport and Highways Minister Prasanna Gunasena was at the Colombo Fort Railway Station yesterday to pick up his wife and son, who were travelling to Colombo by train from Kandy.

While he was at the station, he also had a chat with Railway Department officials about issues at the station and the wider department. A television journalist was also present on the occasion and asked the deputy minister several questions about the state of the country’s railways, to which he was polite enough to answer.

While many praised the deputy transport minister’s family for using public transport to travel, a few cynics could not help wondering out loud as to how a television journalist ended up at the Fort Railway Station to interview the deputy minister at the exact same time he had gone there to pick up his wife and son. What a happy coincidence it was.

Nuwan Nishantha Kularatne driving his garbage tractor decorated with soft toys

Discarded soft toys make garbage tractor appealing

A garbage tractor driver from Kurunegala has gone viral on social media after adorning his municipal vehicle with teddy bears, fabric flowers, and colourful decorations, many of which were salvaged from the very trash he collects or purchased himself.

Nuwan Nishantha Kularatne has been attached to the Kurunegala Municipal Council since 2016 and began decorating his tractor in 2019, with help from assistants Lahiru Hewage and Amila Madushanka. What started with a few discarded soft toys has now become a signature look, turning heads and lifting spirits around town. It is also a message that no job is big or small and it’s one’s attitude toward life that makes life an uplifting experience.

Bimal on cloud nine over new aircraft

SriLankan Airlines welcomed a newly acquired Airbus A330-200 to its fleet last Wednesday, promoting it as a “brand new” addition to bolster long-haul operations.

However, it was revealed in Parliament that the aircraft is, in fact, 13 years old and had been previously operated by multiple carriers.

Notably, during the aircraft’s arrival for the customary water cannon salute at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), one of its windscreen wipers was found to be non-functional, MP Nalin Bandara told the Parliament on Thursday.

First-day shower for the new aircraft at BIA

Despite this, the aircraft was met with enthusiasm on arrival, with Transport, Ports, Airports and Civil Aviation Minister Bimal Rathnayake commenting that he was moved by the public’s warm reception. “I was moved to tears seeing the way people accepted the aircraft,” he told the media. In Parliament, Industries Minister Sunil Handunnetti was so moved by the reconditioned (officially referred to as refurbished) aircraft that he thought it was a day the nation must partake in milk-rice as is done traditionally on auspicious occasions.

The aircraft features 22 Business Class and 240 Economy class seats and is on an eight-year lease.

While the aircraft is not new in age, Minister Rathnayake emphasised that it had been fully serviced and refurbished prior to entering service in Sri Lanka.

Its addition forms part of SriLankan Airlines’ broader strategy to expand long-haul capacity amid rising demand. Another A330-200 is expected to join the fleet in the coming months under similar terms.

The mango being offered to the deities before it was auctioned. Pic by Pix Romesh Madushanka

Holy mangoes go for a whopping Rs. 800,000

Legend has it that Queen Victoria of England and its Empire had a mango shipped all the way from India so she could taste the delicious fruit, which was the delight of the East.

It is no surprise that mangoes were sought after by royalty given their revered position among fruits. And this week in Jaffna, two mangoes made history after they were sold at an auction for close to a whopping Rs. 800,000. The auction was held at two separate temples, namely the Sirisiva Subramaniam Hindu Temple and the Kalikambala Weerabadra Hindu Temple in Jaffna.

The mangoes were auctioned after they were kept for the pooja. One was purchased at the cost of Rs. 460,000 by a devotee from Jaffna, who now resides overseas, while the other mango was bought for Rs. 375,000 by a devotee from the Navatkuli area of Jaffna.

Mangoes signify peace and prosperity, and taking home a mango obtained from a divine offering is auspicious.

 Mumbo-jumbo: Occultists offer services to ex-politicos

It has been common knowledge that ruling party members have been making allegations against former ministers, and some of the cases have in fact been filed against them.

Among the beneficiaries of this exercise have been soothsayers and those performing various rituals, including thovil ceremonies, claiming that the politicians could prevent any evil against them.

A former minister from the Central Province, too, had received several calls from some of them.

Of course, the ex-minister, who was confident that he was not involved in any wrongdoings, had politely declined their services.

However, there are others who may be opting for some divine intervention these days.

 Bill to scrap MPs’ pensions unlikely to hit ex-MPs

The government said this week it will present a bill to Parliament shortly to abolish pensions for members of Parliament.

Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananda Wijepala said the Legal Draftsman’s Department has finalised the proposed bill, which would be brought before Parliament next month.

However, such legislation is unlikely to impact MPs who are already receiving pensions, as any legislation with retrospective effect is likely to be challenged in courts. There are about 50 JVP MPs who have served in Parliament for over five years drawing pensions. Among them are President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and some of his top ministers who are monthly pension recipients.

Blackout greets new mayor who threatened to plunge country into darkness

Trade unionist Ranjan Jayalal took oaths as the Mayor of the Kaduwela Municipal Council this week.

Mr Jayalal, who is General Secretary of the Ceylon Electrical Workers Union, once threatened to plunge the country into darkness over his union’s opposition to the electricity reform bill introduced in 2024.

Ironically, the day he took over as mayor, residents of the areas were treated to a nearly three-hour power cut starting from midnight due to a “breakdown”, it was told.