Archives for July 6, 2018

The increase in fuel prices that was announced from midnight yesterday (5th) has been withdrawn from today (6th) afternoon and the prices will remain as they were before the increase states Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.
Accordingly, a litre of 92 octane petrol will be sold at the old price of Rs. 137 and a litre of 95 octane petrol will be sold at Rs. 148. A litre of diesel will be Rs.109 and Super Diesel will be Rs.119 a litre.
However, it is reported that many petrol sheds sell fuel at the increased prices and a senior official in the CPC states the consumers should ask for a bill for the fuel they buy and should be careful about the amount paid and the date of the bill.

The JVP has decided to organize a series of protests against government’s unfair increase of fuel prices say reports. It is reported that protests at the district level will be launched within the next few days the if the government does not take measures to withdraw the increase in fuel prices announced yesterday (5th).
The government increased fuel prices on 10th May 2018 and within a month the fuel prices have been increased again. The masses have been severely affected by the increase in the prices of fuel and due to this increase prices of all essential items will go up in price points out the JVP.

The JVP is carrying out an awareness programme to apprise the masses regarding the ‘20th amendment to the Constitution’ it has presented in parliament as a private members motion to get the executive presidency abolished.
The programme was launched from Colombo Fort Railway Station on the 2Fortith the participation of the General Secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva, its Information Vijitha Herath, Member of the Political Bureau Lal Kantha, Sunil Handunneththi MP and several others.
The awareness programme including the distribution of leaflets is taking place throughout the island states the media unit of the JVP. Already the programme has been carried out in Ampara, Kurunegala, Hambanthota and Kalutara and Kandy districts.

All Ceylon Farmers Federation states it would complain to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption regarding the release of Rs. 1720 million as an advance to an Australian company without any approval from Parliament by the Department of External Resources to import dairy cows to the country. This was stated by the National Organizer of the Federation Namal Karunarathna at a press conference held at Dambulla yesterday (5th).
At the press conference held at ‘Siyapath Hotel,’ the convener of the National Collective for the Protection of Dairy Farmers Susantha Kumara Navarathna too expressed his views.
According to the report of the Auditor General, the agreement signed on 14.04.2014 with the Netherlands and Australia 5000 dairy cows were brought to the country and the agreement was to terminate in October 2016.
Despite the change of government it was possible not to extend the agreement, due to the corrupt nature of the agreement a newspaper advertisement was published to get down 15,000 more cows said Mr Namal Karunarathna.
The Auditor General’s report had shown that among the imported cows there were cows infected with Bovine Viral Diarrhea and Fasciola hepatica diseases and there was a recommendation that everyone involved in the matter would be held responsible if the rest of the cows are imported without considering the quarantine report said Mr Karunarathna.
He said no action has been taken on the report of Director General of the Department of Animal Production and Health Dr Nihal Wedasinghe who had inspected the animals and recommended quarantine and to destroy the infected animals.
Mr Karunarathna said the information obtained by the Federation according to the Right to Information Act that no dairy cows would be imported by the department in 2018 was not true and said they would complain about this to the Public Service Commission.