News
Harsha sheds light on growing poverty crisis
‘Of 07mn living in poverty, 04mn victims of GR’s policies’
Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Harsha de Silva says the government has to adopt measures to arrest the increase in the number of people living in poverty.Responding to The Island query in this regard, the economist said that he addressed this issue in Parliament last Friday (09)
In his address to Parliament, MP de Silva shed light on the alarming state of poverty in Sri Lanka. Referring to the latest findings by LirneAsia, the MP pointed out that a staggering 07 million Sri Lankans currently live in poverty. Of them approximately 04 million individuals, accounting for around 17% of the population, had fallen into poverty since 2019 thanks to misguided policies of ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government.
MP Harsha highlighted the profound impact of this dire situation on the daily lives of families. The lawmaker recounted the poignant words of a distressed mother who shared her struggle, saying, “I used to buy all the food her four-year-old baby needed, but now I couldn’t even buy half of what I used to. Even a bun….She used to eat baby rusks, which used to cost Rs. 30.00, but now it’s around Rs. 140.”
The MP said that about 47% of households have been compelled to reduce their food consumption in order to make ends meet.
Declaring that the consequences of poverty extended far beyond hunger, MP Harsha de Silva emphasised that in 27% of households, parents had been forced to sacrifice their own meals to ensure that their children were fed. Equally troubling was the fact that 6% of households with children aged 5-18 had been unable to send their kids to school. Quoting a survey participant, the MP said, “About half the boys in the nearby estate have dropped out of school. They take on odd jobs in the area and can earn about Rs. 200 if someone calls them.
These distressing statistics underscore the urgent need to address poverty in Sri Lanka.”
MP Harsha de Silva called for a united effort among Members of Parliament to raise awareness and support initiatives aimed at alleviating this crisis. He emphasized that no child should go hungry or be deprived of an education. It is imperative that policymakers work diligently to make a meaningful difference in the lives of fellow citizens.
Text and Pic by Priyan de Silva
Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC) Ranga Dissanayake has questioned whether some promises contained in the National People’s Power (NPP) manifesto, A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life, could be fulfilled even if the government wanted to implement them.
Dissanayake raised the issue during a discussion following the release of the third biannual report on manifesto monitoring by the March 12 Movement, at the BMICH, on Wednesday.
He questioned whether the report had taken into account legal and institutional constraints affecting the implementation of certain pledges.
Citing the proposal to establish Anti-Corruption Investigation Offices in each district, Dissanayake said such offices could be established only with the agreement of CIABOC and that amendments to the Anti-Corruption Act would be necessary.
He also referred to the pledge to abolish the Executive Presidency, noting that successive governments had made similar commitments since 1994. He questioned whether there had been adequate consideration of where the powers vested in the Executive President would be transferred if the system were abolished.
On the proposal to establish a Public Prosecutor, Dissanayake questioned whether the Government intended to maintain the office alongside the Attorney General, who currently performs prosecution-related functions.
Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES) Manjula Gajanayake said Dissanayake’s remarks should be regarded as his personal views and not as Government policy.
Monitoring and Evaluation Consultants M. Thilakarajah and D.D. Mataharaarachchi presented the third-phase findings, covering January to June 2026.
The corruption case filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) against former Navy Commander, Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda, and Yoshitha Rajapaksa was set for a pre-trial conference by the Colombo High Court.
The case was taken up before the Colombo High Court on Thursday (17), when the accused, who are currently out on bail, appeared before the court. After considering the submissions made, the court ordered that the case be called for a pre-trial conference.
The CIABOC had filed the case against the accused, alleging that a corruption offence was committed by sending Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, for training at the Royal Naval College in the United Kingdom despite him not having the required qualifications.
The Colombo Magistrate’s Court yesterday directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to conduct an investigation and submit a report on whether a statement made by former Minister Wimal Weerawansa at a political rally, in Anuradhapura, on September 12, amounted to contempt of court.
Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara, appearing for the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), made the request when a complaint filed against MP Namal Rajapaksa in connection with the Airbus issue was taken up.
Bandara also handed over to court a compact disc containing the relevant speech made by Weerawansa.
After considering the request, Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama directed the IGP to conduct an investigation into the matter and submit a report to court.
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