News
‘Sexual abuse of female workers in Parliament’: Rohini alleges bid to silence victims
By Saman Indrajith
SJB Matale District MP Rohini Kumari Wijeratne yesterday said that certain senior officials accused of sexual abuse and harassment of female employees in the Housekeeping Department of the Parliament, had started to collect statements from victims denying the occurrence of any such incidents.
MP Wijeratne told Parliament that there was reason to believe that some powerful politicians backed the process of forcing the victims to issue letters retracting the allegations of sexual abuse and harassment so that they could see the end of the probe.
MP Wijeratne said: “It has been reported that some senior officials have sexually abused female employees of the Housekeeping Department of the Parliament.
These officials have harassed the women who refused to give in. After this revelation, the Secretary General of Parliament appointed a committee to probe this. It seems that the probe is now being influenced by very powerful persons. The latest development is that the culprits have started collecting letters from the female employees of Parliament staff saying that they are not victims of sexual abuse. Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapakshe said that a three-member committee had initiated an internal investigation over the complaints made by female employees attached to the Housekeeping Department of Parliament on allegations of sexual abuse and harassment by senior officials.
Leader of the House, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said that the probe committee comprised three senior female officers. After their investigation, a report would be submitted to the Secretary General. The final decision would be made by the Secretary General of Parliament on the basis of the recommendations of the report, the Minister said.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development to accept 08 used low floorboard buses offered as a grant by the Government of Japan.
News
Payment of the financial subsidy for fertilizer to farmers cultivating paddy lands for the Yala season 2026.
While approval has been granted at the Cabinet meeting held on 18.08.2025 to pay the financial subsidy for fertilizer to farmers cultivating paddy lands for the Maha season 2025/26, the programme is planned to be continued for the Yala season 2026 as well.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to pay a financial subsidy of Rupees 25,000/- per hectare and for a maximum of 02 hectares per farmer for paddy cultivation and to pay Rupees 15,000/- per hectare for field crops cultivated in paddy lands[maximum of 02 hectares per farmer]
News
Ministerial Committee appointed to submit recommendations on proposed program to mitigate loss of crops to wild animals
The rural agricultural livelihood and food security have been severely impacted due to the damage caused by wild animals such as elephants, wild boars, monkeys, toque macaque, squirrels, and peacocks roaming around human habitats and cultivated lands.
Animal-human conflicts and property destruction have mostly been reported around these areas, and serious social and economic issues have also arisen.
Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation has prepared a comprehensive program based on the opinions of all stakeholders, including the public, university community, farmers’ organizations, environmentalists, non-governmental organizations which work for environmental issues, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agrarian Development, and other relevant organizations.
Taking into consideration the report submitted by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation, the Cabinet of Ministers has decided to appoint a ministerial committee with the participation of other relevant ministers, chaired by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation, to submit appropriate recommendations on how the aforementioned program should be implemented by further reviewing the proposals included in the said program and incorporating new proposals.
Cabinet nod to accept Japanese government grant of 08 used low floorboard buses
Payment of the financial subsidy for fertilizer to farmers cultivating paddy lands for the Yala season 2026.
Ministerial Committee appointed to submit recommendations on proposed program to mitigate loss of crops to wild animals
New Zealand elect to bowl first at Eden Gardens
Cabinet approves import of Maize to meet shortfall
Cabinet nod for the removal of Cess tax imposed on imported good
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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