News
NHDA spent over Rs 472 million on advertising and publicity during yahapalana rule
By Saman Indrajith
The National Housing Development Authority had spent over Rs. 472 million on advertising and publicity campaigns during the yahapalana regime, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa told Parliament yesterday.
The PM said that the Finance Ministry had already commenced an audit regarding those expenses.
Prime Minister Rajapaksa said so responding to a query by Galle District SLPP ME Sampath Atukorala, who said the NHDA was under the purview of the then Housing Minister Sajith Premadasa during the time period in question. A media and publicity unit was established in January 2015 for the NHDA and it continued to be operational until November 2019. The media unit which was under the direct purview of the Authority’s Chairman had been tasked with raising awareness of the housing projects carried out by the authority. The media unit had a staff of more than 40 persons by the end of 2019. Public money had been spent to build up images of some persons via that media unit, MP Atukorala said, demanding to know the cost to the public purse by those media campaigns.
The Prime Minister said that Rs. 85 million had been spent on printing posters, invitation cards and commemorative magazines. Another Rs. 42 million had been spent on plaques, etc. For newspaper advertisements the Authority had spent Rs. 345 million, the PM said.
The government, under heavy Opposition fire over inclusion of a sex website in the Grade 6 English module, as well as overall education reforms, has decided to put on hold reforms in respect of Grade 6.
Cabinet Spokesman and Media and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced the government decision yesterday (13) at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Information Department.
According to him, the decision had been taken at the previous day’s Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dr. Jayatissa said that education reforms pertaining to Garde 6 had been put on hold until 2027.
The Minister said that other proposed education reforms would be implemented as planned. The Minister said that action would be taken against those responsible for the inclusion of a link to a sex website following investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department and the National Education Institute.
The SJB and several other political parties, as well as civil society groups, have accused the government of promoting an LGBTQ agenda, through the proposed education reforms.
The Opposition grouping Mahajana Handa, on Monday, made representations to the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatta Chapter regarding the controversial reforms, while urging their intervention to halt the project.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (13) vowed to go ahead with his government’s agenda, regardless of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Emphasising the responsibility on the part of all to contribute to the post-Ditwah recovery efforts, President Dissanayake said that he would have complete faith in the public service.
The President said so at the launch of the re-building Sri Lanka project at the BMICH yesterday.
The JVP and NPP leader said that he wouldn’t take advantage of the death and destruction caused by the cyclone or use the situation as an excuse to reverse their agenda or weaken it.
President Dissanayake said that in spite of many calling for amending the then Budget, in view of the cyclone, the government presented the proposals that were agreed before the disaster struck.
The United States has announced that it will provide the Sri Lanka Air Force with 10 US Navy TH-57 helicopters free of charge.
The announcement was made by outgoing US Ambassador Julie Chung, who stated, on social media, that the helicopters would be transferred under the United States’ Excess Defence Articles programme. The aircraft are Bell 206 Sea Ranger helicopters previously operated by the US Navy.
US sources said that the transfer was intended to strengthen Sri Lanka’s disaster response capabilities, following the devastating cyclone that struck the island at the end of 2025 and killed more than 600 people. US officials have framed the move as a humanitarian measure aimed at improving aerial rescue and relief operations.
Showery condition over the island is expected to reduce from tomorrow (15th)
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Fair weather will prevail except for a few showers in the Uva, Eastern, Western and Central provinces and in Galle, Matara and Rathnapura districts
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Govt. bows to pressure, shelves Grade 6 reforms
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