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With influential medical unions on trade union action alleging critical shortages of certain drugs, some of them raised concerns as to why the Swastha, an information management system of medicinal drugs, is not available online anymore.

Launched in 2023, the comprehensive system was designed to ensure that pharmaceuticals, surgical items, and consumables are readily available to healthcare providers across the country and to track real-time data on their availability.

The trade union activists alleged that the system was open to the public, but recently, under this government, it was restricted to senior staff of the Medical Supplies Division.

Earlier this week, the Opposition and a group of unionists lodged a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), calling for an investigation into an alleged shortage of 40 cancer medications, while claiming that unregistered cancer drugs were currently in the market.

Women’s Commission chief quits; govt accused of lip service

Just days after Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya was waxing eloquent at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on the importance of recognising unpaid care work, which disproportionately impacts women, the news broke of the resignation of the chairperson of the National Women’s Commission, Ramani Jayasundara.

Among the reasons for her resignation, she cited interference with the work of the commission as well as the absence of a dedicated budget, independent premises, and inadequate staff.

Her resignation underscores criticism that many in government only pay lip service to empowering women.

It’s time for the Prime Minister and others in government to ‘walk the talk’ on women’s rights. A good place to start would be to get the Women’s Commission working properly, critics say.

Politicians at school functions: Govt breaking its rules

Walking the talk on other issues is also not something Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya has managed to do on education-related matters either.

While she has been a vocal opponent of inviting politicians to school events, not only has she herself broken the rule, but other ministers/NPP MPs also do so by attending such events regularly.

Even worse has been the use of children to stage pro-education reform protests allegedly organised by government elements.

Young children were seen at several of the pro-education reform protests, raising
serious questions about exposing children to potentially harmful situations.

File picture: Kathy Klugman (right) in conversation with the then JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe when she was Australia's High Commissioner in Sri Lanka

Klugman: From Colombo envoy to Australia’s intelligence chief

Kathy Klugman, who served as Australia’s High Commissioner in Sri Lanka from 2008 to 2012, has been appointed the country’s Director-General of National Intelligence.

She is the first woman to lead the Office of National Intelligence or its predecessor, the Office of National Assessments.

Ms Klugman has had a distinguished career in the Australian Public Service, holding senior positions in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and has had a particular focus on the Indo-Pacific region. As a Deputy Secretary at DFAT, she led the Department’s Development and Multilateral Group. Before that, Ms Klugman led DFAT’s Pacific Division and oversaw the establishment of the expanded Office of the Pacific in DFAT, charged with advancing Australia’s Pacific Step Up. She held senior positions covering policy and strategy for Southeast Asia and South Asia, including as Australia’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. She led the International Division of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Clean food assured at dansal for relic exposition

With the exposition of the Sacred Relics of the Buddha from the Aravali region of Gujarat to begin at the Gangaaramaya Vihara in Colombo, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala and other officials visited the
temple to ensure that all arrangements were in place for the event where large crowds are expected.

The minister assured the chief prelate that the government has taken all security measures as well as other steps to ensure that the devotees are not inconvenienced in any way. This includes dansal providing meals 24 hours a day.

As several dansal (stalls offering free food) are expected to be installed during the week-long exposition, temple authorities urged the government to ensure that the highest level of cleanliness is maintained, as any mishap with the food would lead to a bad taste in the mouth of the public, the blame for which will have to be borne by the government. They cited the recent food poisoning issues during the Kandy Esela Perahera.

National day dinner after dinner for diplomats

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has lined up several events to felicitate and entertain Colombo-based heads of missions and honorary consuls, including those based in New Delhi. They will be in the country to participate in Independence Day celebrations on February 4.

The events will kick off on Monday with a formal gathering of members of the Association of Consuls in Sri Lanka at the Shangri-La Hotel, where Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya will be the chief guest and Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath will be in attendance.

This will be followed by a ministry-hosted dinner the same night for the members of the Association. On February 4, all Colombo-based heads of missions and honorary consuls, as well as the visiting New Delhi-based diplomats, will be hosted for a special dinner, also by the Ministry.

Suspended top official struck off Parliament WhatsApp groups

Parliament’s Deputy Secretary General and Chief of Staff Chaminda Kularatne, who was suspended from his post two weeks ago, has now been removed from official WhatsApp groups, including the Parliament Correspondents group.

Meanwhile, Mr Kularatne is challenging his suspension, alleging a personal vendetta against him. The WhatsApp group is administered by a group of parliamentary officials, mainly those attached to its Department of Communication.

Police accused of links to the North’s nouveau riche

It is a known secret that all ‘rags to riches’ stories are certainly not true when it comes to certain individuals who became very rich within a quick span of time in recent years due to questionable reasons.

Police even launched a special investigation team to probe individuals who are suspected to possess ‘unexplained wealth’, and certain politicians are already under investigation.

The matter came up during a local development committee meeting of Valikaamam West Pradeshiya Sabha, where Jaffna district NPP MP Dr S. Sri Bavanandarajah asked the Vaddukottai Police, who were present at the meeting, whether they were aware of individuals who became so rich in their police area.

Presiding at the meeting, he challenged the police that he could produce the list of those individuals if they required it. There was no response from senior police officials in attendance.

The MP claimed that the information he had was provided by local whistleblowers, and they have already been in touch with relevant senior police officials to launch probes on suspected ill-gotten wealth.

One Pradeshiya Sabha member intervened to say that most of these get-rich-quick individuals have maintained close ties with senior police officers, and those officers will have to be transferred to ensure impartial investigations.

Saman’s SLAS support base among the crowd outside court

When Saman Ekanayake, presidential secretary during the Ranil Wickremesinghe presidency and a senior Sri Lanka Administrative Service (SLAS) officer, came to court on Wednesday, some serving SLAS officers whom he had mentored were at the court premises to extend moral support.

However, many did not want their presence noticed given that they are serving officers. They chose to make themselves inconspicuous by mingling with the crowds, fearing being noticed could land them in trouble with the government.

Sources close to Mr Ekanayake said he had been enjoying a lucrative job abroad when he was requested by the former president to take over the job as first the prime minister’s secretary and then the president’s secretary in 2022, even though he was reluctant to do so.

“It’s not all about the money,” Mr Wickremesinghe had said to persuade him to take up the post. Ironically, it looks like it is all about the money because he’s now in remand on allegations that he sanctioned state funds for what state investigators are claiming was a private visit of the former president.

Adam’s Bridge tours are ready; the dispute over revenue sharing ends

Marking March 3 as World Wildlife Day, moves are underway by local authorities in Mannar to launch commercial tourist boat trips to Adam’s Bridge (Rama Setu), a chain of limestone shoals connecting to India.

There were concerns and a deadlock between the Department of Wildlife and the Mannar Pradeshiya Sabha as to who is operating the boat trips and the basis of revenue sharing on this initiative. Both parties eventually agreed on an equal revenue-sharing formula—with 52 boat operators applying for permits to conduct the tours.

Among them, 22 were from local fisherfolk communities. Grassroots organisations were selected for the first phase of the programme with guided tours starting from the Talaimannar pier.

While visiting Mannar last year, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that the initiative would be introduced to boost local tourism and the economy.

The commercial tourist service in the Palk Strait came following political ripples created by a visit by Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong to the limestone shoals during his ‘familiarisation tour’ to the North in 2021. It raised some diplomatic concerns in New Delhi about regional security.

Costly structures for one-day National Day event

National Day: Concerns over cost of event structures

While the government has pledged to spend less on Independence Day celebrations, the ongoing arrangements show a different picture.

Some of the structures being put up look like permanent structures instead of the temporary stands that are usually put up for Independence Day celebrations. The government announced it has allocated Rs. 100 million from the 2026 budget for the National Day celebrations but expects to spend only around Rs. 70 million.