News
Government that came to power by creating crises is in crisis now – Sajith
Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa said the present government came to power creating various crises in the country and today it was in crisis.
Speaking at a ceremony held to mark the opening of SJB Eastern Province head office in Trincomalee on Wednesday, the opposition leader said that the relief package to be provided by the government is not really a relief package but a package of uneasiness.
The Leader of the Opposition questioned the outcome of the relief package that would be provided by printing money and raising inflation.
Premadasa said that there was a queue era in the country during the period of Mrs. Bandaranaike during 70-77 and, still, people experienced it then in a closed economy and today, on the contrary, people are experiencing a queue era even in an open economy due to short-sighted, unsuccessful economic practices of this government.
The Opposition Leader said that by now the government is auctioning the country by misleading even the Cabinet of Ministers and added that the strongmen of the government do not take decisions for the benefit of people but for their own interests.
The Opposition Leader said no opposition party in the history of the country had received foreign aid for development of the country and that Samagi Jana Balawegaya, which is on a modernist journey, is also receiving foreign diplomatic assistance for development of the country.
Premadasa noting that some people are asking him how he could run the government after taking it over, asked those people to decide how he would run a government based on his activities and performances in the Opposition without a government.
He said that the traditional opposition had always fought only for power whereas the SJB is fighting for power while also carrying out social development activities being in the Opposition.
The Opposition Leader is currently participating in a number of social welfare programs in the North and East, the most important of which are the ‘Sakwala’ and ‘Samagi Jana Balawegaya Husmak’ programs.
‘Samagi Jana Balawegayen Husmak’ program is implemented by the group of Members of Parliament, organizers, members, foreign branches, local and foreign donors of Samagi Jana Balawegaya in collaboration with ‘Jana Suwaya’ Project in order to provide health relief to people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
News
Cabinet approves project to modernize school hostel facilities during the 2026–2028 period at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,008 million
Among the school hostels in the country, 126 hostel buildings are in an aged condition, with maintenance and renovation work remaining at a minimal level.
Consequently, it has been observed that constraints in the physical, sanitary, health, and safety facilities of these school hostels adversely affect the living standards and academic performance of the resident students.
Therefore, the necessity to modernize the essential facilities of these hostels has been recognized to foster a qualitative environment conducive to the students’ education and well-being.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Prime Minister, in her capacity as the Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, to implement a project to modernize school hostel facilities during the 2026–2028 period at an estimated total cost of Rs. 1,008 million.
In the recent past, factors such as population growth, expansion of development activities, and deforestation in Sri Lanka have resulted in the loss of traditional migratory routes and the destruction of habitats of wild elephants.
Consequently, a continuous and rapid escalation of the human-elephant conflict has been observed over a long period, spanning 19 out of the 25 districts and 134 out of the 341 Divisional Secretariat Divisions in the country.
According to the wild elephant census conducted in 2024, the wild elephant population in the country is estimated to be approximately 7,450. It is reported that the human-elephant
conflict accounts for a significant number of human fatalities and wild elephant deaths annually.
Furthermore, over a thousand incidents of property damage caused by wild elephants are recorded each year.
Although a ‘National Action Plan to Mitigate Human-Elephant Conflict in Sri Lanka’ was formulated in 2020, the dynamics of the current human-elephant conflict have evolved substantially since then, necessitating the formulation of a new national action plan.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Environment to take the necessary steps to draft a new National Action Plan for Human-Elephant Conflict Management.
Latest News
Cabinet green light to host 21st Steering Committee Meeting of the Cooperative Aviation Security Programme – Asia Pacific and the 14th Regional Aviation Security Coordination Forum – Asia and Pacific Regions from 23 – 26 June in Sri Lanka
Hosting the 21st Steering Committee Meeting of the Cooperative Aviation Security Programme – Asia Pacific and the 14th Regional Aviation Security Coordination Forum – Asia and Pacific Regions in Sri Lanka
An invitation has been extended to Sri Lanka to host two major regional aviation security summits: the 21st Steering Committee Meeting of the Cooperative Aviation Security Programme – Asia Pacific (CASP-AP) and the 14th Regional Aviation Security Coordination Forum (RASCF).
The Steering Committee of the Cooperative Aviation Security Programme – Asia Pacific serves as the primary decision-making body for the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) cooperative aviation security program in the Asia-Pacific region.
Sri Lanka is scheduled to assume the chairmanship of the said Steering Committee for the 2026-2027 term during this summit.
The Regional Aviation Security Coordination Forum for the Asia and Pacific regions serves as a regional platform to deliberate on emerging threats, the implementation of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), capacity-building activities, and coordination among member states and international
organizations.
Approximately 80 delegates, including representatives from 41 member states, international organizations, and observers, are expected to participate in these two summits.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation to host the 21st Steering Committee Meeting of the Cooperative Aviation Security Programme – Asia Pacific on the 23rd and 24th of June 2026, and the 14th Regional Aviation Security Coordination Forum – Asia and Pacific Regions on the 25th and 26th of June 2026 in Sri Lanka.
Cabinet approves project to modernize school hostel facilities during the 2026–2028 period at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,008 million
New National Action Plan for Human-Elephant Conflict Management to be drafted
Cabinet green light to host 21st Steering Committee Meeting of the Cooperative Aviation Security Programme – Asia Pacific and the 14th Regional Aviation Security Coordination Forum – Asia and Pacific Regions from 23 – 26 June in Sri Lanka
Committee to examine the feasibility of operating all functions related to the Employees’ Provident Fund and the Employees’ Trust Fund under an integrated governance framework
Cabinet nod to lease 108 acres, 3 roods, and 37.85 perches land in Hambanthota
G7 leaders meet in France with Iran and Ukraine high on agenda
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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