Archives for March 2017

Former DAG Anura Senanayaka, arrested and remanded on charges of concealing evidence in connection with the murder of popular rugby player Wasim Thajudeen has been re-remanded until 5th April.
The order was given by Colombo Additional Magistrate Jayaram Trotsky yesterday (30th).

Sri Lanka has foreign debts around US$3.6 billion and anyone seeing this debt burden would want to commit suicide says Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Mr. Wickremesinghe made this observation participating in a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of Kularathna Children’s Home at Godakawela held yesterday (30th).
The Prime Minister said the debt has to be settled from this year to 2026 and added his government would develop the economy of the country to settle the debts while developing the country.

The Colombo High Court yesterday (30th) issued summons on former Minister of Mahinda Rajapaksa regime Mahindananda Aluthgamage to appear before Court on 22nd May in connection with an indictment filed against him by Attorney General for alleged criminal breach of trust of Rs.3.9 million funds belonging to Sri Lanka Nidahas Kamkaru Congress.
The Attorney General in the indictment charges that Mahindananda Aluthgamage had committed punishable offences under section 389 of the Penal Code and the A G has listed 13 persons as the witnesses in the case and named eight documents as production items of the case.

Employees serving in Samurdhi Development Department have not received festival advance says the General Secretary of Samurdhi Development Officers’ Union Chamara Maddumakaluge.
Mr. Maddumakaluge said all employees in state and semi-government institutions are paid a festival advance of Rs.10,000. However, 22,000 employees employed in Samurdhi Development Department have not been paid this advance said Mr. Maddumakaluge.

The water tariff will have to be increased as supplying filtered water has become very expensive says the Minister of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage Rauff Hakeem.
The Minister said this at a ceremony held at Monaragala to declare open the Kumbukkana Water Supply Scheme.

UPFA Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa who carried out a hunger strike demanding bail as he was arrested and remanded for allegedly misusing 40 state vehicles belonging to the State Engineering Corporation causing a Rs. 90 million loss to the state during 2011-2014 period has called off his ‘hunger’ strike.
He was admitted to prison hospital and later transferred to Colombo National Hospital where he gave up the hunger strike. Wimal Weerawansa once went on a hunger strike protesting against the UN. However, he gave up the hunger strike after drinking young coconut water retired President Mahinda Rajapaksa offered him. This time he gave up the ‘hunger’ strike after drinking a glass of milk.

Despite the prices of vegetables had drastically come down throughout the recent past, neither the consumer nor the farmer received any benefit from the situation says the National Organizer of the All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation Namal Karunaratna.
Speaking at a press conference held at Dambulla yesterday (29th) Mr. Karunaratna said, “The farmers who cultivated brinjals, cabbage and other vegetables could not sell their produce even for Rs.5 a kilo and have been severely inconvenienced. The produce bought at dirt cheap prices from farmers is bought by consumers paying very high prices. No vegetable is available in the market for less than Rs. 50 a kilo.
This situation has arisen as there is no methodology available in the country to preserve or minimize waste or to distribute produce bought from farmers directly to consumers he pointed out.
Despite the government promising to pay Rs.10,000 per month for four months for cultivations destroyed by the drought, so far nothing has been paid and if the money due for March and April is not paid before the New Year the farmers will have a very trying time added Mr. Karunaratna.
He said large companies have brought down the price of maize but the government has not taken any action regarding it he said.

The Leader of the JVP Parliamentarian Anura Dissanayaka will leave to Kuwait today (30th) to participate in the Annual Convention of Kuwait branch of the ‘Ethera Api’ organization to be held tomorrow (31st).
‘Ethera Api’, a powerful organization that appears for issues and rights of Sri Lankans abroad, has branches in many countries in the world. Most of the Sri Lankans employed or domiciled abroad have been benefited and have confidence that the organization would genuinely represent their issues and protect their rights.