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‘Hartal’ against M’tivu killing: Police won’t allow disruption to civil life

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Udaya says NPP govt. in catch-22 situation

Police spokesman ASP F.U. Wootler said that they respected people’s right to protest and demonstrate but the law enforcement authorities couldn’t turn a blind eye to any efforts to disrupt civil life. Attorney-at-law Wootler said that they would be closing watching the situation.

The Police Spokesman said so when The Island sought their response to the ITAK’s plan to ‘shut down’ the Northern and Eastern provinces tomorrow (15) in protest against the killing of 32-year-old Ethirmanasingham Kapilraj, whose body was found floating on the Muththaiyankaddu tank on 09 August.

ASP Wootler said that law enforcement authorities would decide how to respond, depending on the situation. In addition to the ITAK, the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) has declared its support for the ‘hartal’ called by former parliamentarian and General Secretary of ITAK M.A. Sumanthiran, PC.

TPA leader Mano Ganeshan reiterated their support for Friday’s action. Both Sumanthiran and Ganeshan blamed the Army for the killing, while calling for troop reduction in the former war zones. The main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) accommodated Mano Ganeshan in Parliament, through its National List, at the last general election.

Army spokesman Brig. Varuna Gamage flatly denied accusations. According to him, troops, based at the camp, manned by the Sinha Regiment, located on the Oddussudan- Muththaiyankaddu, were not responsible for Kapilraj’s death.

Former Minister and Attorney-at-Law Udaya Gammanpila pointed out that the National People’s Power (NPP) government was in a catch-22 situation. Obviously the government couldn’t take effective counter-measures as it wielded political power in the Northern and Eastern provinces, though the ITAK made some gains at the last Local Government polls. “The NPP is facing an acid test,” the former parliamentarian said, emphasising the responsibility on the part of the government to ensure a no holds barred investigation into the allegations.

By Shamindra Ferdinando



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Payment of Compensation to the people who have lost their cultivable lands in implementing the Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project

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Approval has been granted at the Cabinet meeting held on 27-06-2012 to provide cultivable agricultural lands from the lower Uma Oya valley to 276 farming families in Hali-Ela, Walimada, and Uva Paranagama Divisional Secretariat Divisions who have lost their cultivable lands due to the acquisition of lands for the
Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project.

However, the aforementioned proposal could not be implemented due to the encroachment of a large portion of the identified lands by unauthorized persons, heavy forest cover, the threats posed by wild elephants, remoteness from their original settlements, and difficulties in adapting to other environmental conditions and social anomalies.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation to pay an estimated compensation of Rs. 12 lakhs for each of these 276 farming families, based on the
recommendations submitted by the Cabinet Sub-Committee appointed to provide solutions for the issues arising in the implementation of the Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project.

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Draft Bill of the Chartered Institute of Media Professionals of Sri Lanka to be Gazzated

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Policy approval was granted at the Cabinet meeting held on 07.04.2025 to prepare a draft bill to establish the Chartered Institute of Media Professionals of Sri Lanka in order to accomplish the requirement of a training institution to carry out studies in order to create chartered media professionals and mould intelligent media personalities with skills in order to enhance the quality and standard of the media society.

Clearance of the Attorney General has been received for the final draft prepared by the Legal Draftsman for the purpose.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to publish the draft bill of Chartered Institute of Media Professionals of Sri Lanka in the Government Gazette Notification and thereafter submit the same for the concurrence of the House.

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Telecommunication Levy Act No. 21 of 2011 to be amended

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The Telecommunication Levy Act No. 21 of 2011 has enabled provisions to impose telecommunication levy. The budget 2026 has proposed to introduce amendments for the act including changes imposed from time to time regarding the telecommunication levy.

Accordingly, the Legal Draftsman has formulated a draft bill for
amending the Telecommunication Levy Act No. 21 of 2011 including provisions to extend applicable to envisage all the tax amounts applicable from the year 2015 along with the telecommunication levy existing at present, applicable of taxes on unrecovered revenue (bad debts) and to extend the provisions of that act to cater the telecommunication suppliers.

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the  President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to publish the said draft bill in the Government Gazette Notification and subsequently to submit the same for the concurrence of the House.

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