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Namal tells of their plans to Indian news site

Published

4 years ago

2022/05/13

It is the right time to have a stable government and invite Indian investors to take a lead role in the economic development of Sri Lanka, MP Namal Rajapaksa said yesterday in an interview with India News 18.

He also said that Sri Lanka needed a lot of support from friendly countries and that India had been the biggest supporter during the last couple of months and also historically.

“We believe that a lot of investments from all over the world that we had lined up during PM Mahinda Rajapaksa’s time are towards finalisation, and going into MoUs for construction, especially from India and few other countries. We need to expedite those projects, find a new PM and government to bring in these investments. I’m sure a lot of Indian investors have come forward to invest in Sri Lanka. Credit lines and grants and loans are all good but for the long-term, we need investments. It is the right time to have a stable government and invite Indian investors to take a lead role in that.”

It’s easy to carry out a revolution, it’s easy to carry out a protest or disruption, but rebuilding, development, forward thinking, and governing are the toughest things to do, he added.

Commenting on recent political developments, Rajapaksa said that the President had to take a tough stand and form a strong government and deliver what we have promised to the people, and bring economic and political stability.

“First, they wanted the cabinet to be dissolved and once the new cabinet was formed, they wanted the prime minister to resign. Now, he has resigned. After two days, we are here, talking without being able to find a new PM or form a government. What will happen if the President resigns tomorrow? We don’t have a PM, and we won’t have a President. Then where are we heading as a nation? Slogans are good but implementation is hard”, he said.

Rajapaksa said that the President has to govern the country for now, and that people will understand Sri Lanka is going through a hard time. He said that everyone will rally around and support if the President makes the right choices and if the caretaker government or interim government will be formed for the next six months to one year

Rajapaksa said that in his personal opinion the best option is to have an independent government. He also denied allegations that pro-government mobs were responsible for the violence. “Provocation was not just from pro-government, but from anti-government protesters too. Violence cannot be accepted in any form. Protests were driven by certain politically motivated organisations, and later on it went out of control. We believe that law and order has to be restored and all political parties should calm their followers down. This whole violence was pre-planned and was part of propaganda by certain political parties from the looks of it. Look at how they attacked the homes of parliamentarians,” he said.

Rajapaksa added that the violence in Sri Lanka began in late March when protesters attacked the President’s residence. The Police took six hours to control the situation and now it has developed into attacking homes of lawmakers.

“The violence began even before protests at Galle Face started. You cannot blame just one side,” he said.

Rajapaksa also denied allegations that his family members are fleeing the country. He said that the anti-government propagandists purposely created that story.

“They started running around the airports. This is not just to kill people or destroy property but to kill Sri Lanka economically. From our family’s side, I make sure that we have no reason to go out of the country. We have always stood by our people.”

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Landslide Earyly Warnings issued to the districts of Kalutara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura

Published

18 mins ago

2026/06/13

Priyan

The Landslide Early Warning Centre of the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has issued early warnings to the Districts of Kalutara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura from 1600hrs on 13th June 2026 till 1600hrs on 14th June 2026.

Accordingly,

LEVEL I (YELLOW) landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surounding areas of Palindanuwara and Agalawatta in the Kalutara district, Ambagamuwa in the Nuwara Eliya and Ayagama, Pelmadulla,
Godakawela, Elapatha, Kalawana, Ratnapura and Nivithigala in the Ratnapura district.

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INS Sharda departs Colombo concluding replenishment visit

Published

37 mins ago

2026/06/13

Priyan

The Indian Naval Ship (INS) ‘Sharda’ departed the island today (13 Jun 26), concluding her replenishment purposes.

On departure the vessel was accorded a traditional naval farewell by the Sri Lanka Navy at the Port of Colombo.

The visit also paved the way for vibrant personnel interactions, fostering camaraderie and goodwill. The crew of INS Sharda and personnel from the Sri Lanka Navy participated in a
friendly volleyball match and a joint yoga session. A

dditionally, Sri Lanka Navy personnel had the opportunity to visit the Indian naval vessel, while the visiting crew took time to explore several culturally significant landmarks across the island.

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Special Dengue Prevention Week declared in Colombo District from June 15 to 21

Published

13 hours ago

2026/06/13

Priyan

A decision has been taken to declare a Special Dengue Prevention Week from 15 to 21 of June by the Colombo District Dengue Control Committee to curb the spread of the disease in the Colombo District.

This decision was taken at the meeting of the Colombo District Dengue Control Committee held on Friday (12) at the Colombo District Secretariat under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.

Compared to last year, the number of dengue cases reported this year has increased significantly. According to the National Dengue Control Unit, approximately 39,100 dengue cases have been reported island wide to date, of which 25.8% have been recorded in the Colombo District. Following this situation, the Colombo District has been identified as a high-risk district.

Health authorities informed that the increasing spread of the disease has been influenced not only by the nature of circulating virus but also to the lack of sufficient immunity among the population. They further noted that the recent period of heavy rainfall has aggravated the spread of Dengue.

It was also identified that the current outbreak is being reported more frequently from public places such as government institutions, private establishments, schools, and religious venues rather than from residential premises. Observations have identified improperly managed solid waste and drainage systems in offices and other public locations as major breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Accordingly, during the Dengue Prevention Week from 15 to 21 June, a series of measures will be implemented, including, organising community clean-up campaigns in government and private institutions, schools, residential areas, and other public spaces; Conducting inspections of high-risk premises by Divisional Secretariats and taking legal action, where necessary, followed by awareness programmes; Distributing informational leaflets, displaying banners, and carrying out public awareness campaigns through the media. Health authorities also requested school administrations not to involve students below Grade 10 in school cleaning programmes and to immediately notify the relevant Medical Officer of Health (MOH) office if a student is diagnosed with dengue.

The programme is expected to receive the active support and participation of the district’s political leadership, religious leaders of all faiths, public officials, local government institutions, the tri-forces, the police, and the general public.

The event was attended by the Chairperson of the District Coordination Committee, Members of Parliament, representatives of local government authorities, government secretaries, police officers, and officials representing the education and health sectors, among others.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]