News
Controversy over C’bo Uni. Chancellor’s SUV: Higher Education Ministry, UGC won’t intervene – Dr. Raghavan
… Puttalam District lawmaker original owner
By Shamindra Ferdinando
State Higher Education Minister Dr. Suren Raghavan yesterday (19) said the Higher Education Ministry, and the University Grants Commission (UGC), wouldn’t get involved in the ongoing issue pertaining to the sale of SUV by Chancellor of the Colombo University Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda, the chief incumbent of the Abhayarama temple.
Dr. Raghavan emphasised that as it was a private matter there was no need for them to intervene. The SLPP National List MP said so in response to The Island query whether the Ministry would inquire into the allegations regarding the sale of a V-8 by the Chancellor.
Ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed Ven. Ananda as Chancellor, last November.
Declaring his commitment to what he called total independence of Universities, the State Minister questioned the current process in selecting Vice Chancellors. The SLPP National List MP said: “I stand for the total independence of all universities, including the selection of their Vice Chancellors. Presidents do not need to appoint them.”
Responding to another query, Dr. Raghavan said that if anyone believed the Ven. Thera had violated the law, that party should move Court.
Chairman, UGC, Prof. Sampath Amaratunga said that the President exercised the power to appoint Chancellors of Universities. Therefore, in his capacity as the Chairman, UGC, he couldn’t comment on the issue at hand.
A simmering controversy erupted over the Ven. Thera’s SUV, after former JVP MP Wasantha Samarasinghe alleged that Thilini Priyamali, proprietor of Thico Group of Companies now in remand custody, in connection with the misappropriation of large sums of money, stole the V-8, used by the Ven. Thera.
Having cleared Thilini Priyamali of stealing the vehicle, Ven. Ananda has revealed that he had lodged a complaint with the police alleging that Colombo Municipal Council member, Priyanka Jayasekera (SLPP), sold the vehicle, on his behalf, but didn’t hand over the proceeds.
At a hastily called media briefing, Councillor Jayasekera contradicted Ven. Thera. Jayasekera said that she sold the V-8, with the blessings of the Ven. Thera, to cover losses, amounting to Rs. 50 mn ,incurred by her, having invested on an enterprise, as requested by the monk. Jayasekera is on record as having said that she provided a Mercedes Benz, belonging to her, to the Ven. Thera, after the sale of the V-8. She said that the V-8 hadn’t been in the name of Ven. Ananda, though the monk claimed its ownership.
The Island
asked Wasantha Samarasinghe, who now heads a trade union collective, led by the JVP, whether he still stood by his original claim that the alleged fraudster Priyamali stole the vehicle, the former lawmaker said that he would respond to the query, after having studied the developments.
Rohan Laksiri, Secretary, Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA), said that as they hadn’t discussed the Chancellor’s issue yet, a statement couldn’t be issued. “We’ll do so once consensus was reached on this matter,” Laksiri said.
Responding to Councillor Jayasekera, Ven. Thera told the media that he decided to sell the V-8 after a philanthropist, based in Japan, offered him another vehicle. Ven. Ananda said that he abandoned the plan as he couldn’t get the heavy tax, on the car, waived off.
Ven. Ananda told The Island yesterday that since 2017 he was the legitimate owner of the V-8, which originally belonged to a Puttalam District Muslim MP. The monk said that he didn’t want to discuss this issue, over the phone, though he was willing to show the documents, in his hands, which proved the accusations wrong.
During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 01 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized an Indian fishing boat and apprehended 11 Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan of Kareinagar, Jaffna.
The Northern Naval Command spotted a group of Indian fishing boats engaging in illegal fishing, trespassing into Sri Lankan waters. In response, naval craft of the Northern Naval Command were deployed to drive away those Indian fishing boats from island waters off Kovilan.
Meanwhile, compliant boarding made by naval personnel resulted in the seizure of one Indian fishing boat and apprehension of 11 Indian fishermen who continued to engage in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters.
The seized boat (01) and Indian fishermen (11) were handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.
Latest News
Tri-Forces donate LKR. 372 million, a day’s pay of all ranks to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund
Members of all ranks from the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force have collectively donated a day’s basic salary to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, which was established to restore livelihoods and rebuild the country following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Accordingly, the total contribution made by the Tri-Forces amounts to LKR. 372,776,918.28.
The cheques representing the financial contributions were handed over on Wednesday (31 December) at the Presidential Secretariat to the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
The donations comprised LKR. 250 million from the Commander of the Army, Major General Lasantha Rodrigo; LKR. 73,963,879.71 from the Commander of the Navy, Rear Admiral Kanchana Banagoda and LKR. 48,813,038.97 from the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Vasu Bandu Edirisinghe.
Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, was also present on the occasion.
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has submitted a proposal to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) seeking an 11.57 percent increase in electricity tariffs for the first quarter of 2026, citing an estimated revenue shortfall and additional financial pressures, including cyclone-related damages.
According to documents issued by the PUCSL, the proposed tariff revision would apply to electricity consumption from January to March 2026 and includes changes to both energy charges and fixed monthly charges across all consumer categories, including domestic, religious, industrial, commercial and other users.
Under the proposal, domestic electricity consumers would face increases in unit rates as well as fixed monthly charges across all consumption blocks.
The CEB has estimated a deficit of Rs. 13,094 million for the first quarter of 2026, which it says necessitates the proposed 11.57 per cent tariff hike. The utility has noted that any deviation from this estimate whether a surplus or a shortfall will be adjusted through the Bulk Supply Tariff Adjustment (BSTA) mechanism and taken into account in the next tariff revision.
In its submission, the CEB said the proposed revision is aimed at ensuring the financial and operational stability of the power sector and mitigating potential risks to the reliability of electricity supply. The board-approved tariff structure for the first quarter of 2026 has been submitted to the PUCSL for approval and subsequent implementation, as outlined in Annex II of the proposal.
The CEB has also highlighted the financial impact of Cyclone Ditwah, which it said caused extensive damage to electricity infrastructure, with total losses estimated at around Rs. 20 billion. Of this amount, Rs. 7,016.52 million has been attributed to the first quarter of 2026, which the utility said has a direct bearing on electricity tariffs.
The CEB warned that if external funding is not secured to cover the cyclone-related expenditure, the costs incurred would need to be recovered through electricity tariffs in the second-quarter revision of 2026.
Meanwhile, the PUCSL has said that a decision on whether to approve the proposed tariff increase will be made only after following due regulatory procedures and holding discussions on the matter.
By Sujeewa Thathsara ✍️
Two people killed in magnitude 6.5 earthquake in Mexico
President Trump says the US has ‘captured’ Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and flown them out of the country
Navy seize an Indian fishing boat poaching in northern waters
US Coast Guard suspends search for survivors of Pacific boat strike
Venezuela’s capital hit by explosions, Caracas blames the US
Tri-Forces donate LKR. 372 million, a day’s pay of all ranks to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund
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