News
JVP Leader warns of a looming danger of public sector administration breaking down
By Saman Indrajith
JVP/NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday warned Parliament of the danger of public administration collapsing owing to ongoing trade union action by the Grama Niladharis (GNs).
Making a special statement, Dissanayake said that the GNs countrywide had resorted to trade union action over several issues including salary anomalies. They recently had a countrywide sick-note campaign and thereafter they commenced a work-to-rule campaign on May 17. This campaign is scheduled to continue till June 2. The GN union collective has warned that if they do not get an acceptable solution by June 2, they would take severe actions.
The Cabinet approved a special salary scheme for the GNs, but the government was delaying its implementation, Dissanayake said. Some of the problems highlighted by the GNs had been there for years without being addressed. There is a danger that the entire administrative sector was coming to a standstill because GN is the lowest rung of the public sector administrative machinery, Dissanayake said.
Home Affairs State Minister Ashoka Priyantha said that the ministry had held several rounds of talks with the GNs on May 2 and May 11. Action had been taken to double the allowances for GNs on May 14. This proposal had been sent to the Public Service Commission on May 20. In addition, the government had recruited more than 1,000 GNs recently. The government’s attention had been drawn to the grievances highlighted by the GNs and it hoped that the GNs would respond accordingly by ending their union action, the minister said.
The newly appointed Ambassador of Israel to India accredited to Sri Lanka Reuven Azar visited the Pathfinder Foundation Headquarters at Riverpoint recently and met with the Founder Milinda Moragoda and Chairman Bernard Goonetilleke.
At the Meeting The discussion centered on identifying ways and means of expanding cooperation between the two countries in tourism, agriculture, digital technology and logistics. Over the years the Pathfinder Foundation has established a dialogue with think tanks in Israel. The Ambassador was accompanied by the Hon Consul for Israel in Sri Lanka Dinesh Rodrigo.
Sri Lanka has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing global peace and security through principled and accountable engagement.
At the 2025 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Arun Hemachandra praised the United Nations for its steadfast efforts to maintain global peace and security amid rising asymmetric threats and an increasingly complex operational landscape.
Speaking on behalf of the new government, Hemachandra emphasized Sri Lanka’s unwavering dedication to global peace, supported by a renewed national vision and comprehensive reforms aimed at enhancing professionalism and accountability across all sectors of governance, including defense.
He stressed the importance of civilian protection within UN peacekeeping operations, advocating for more robust and responsive strategies to address the growing challenges on the ground. Hemachandra noted that rapid technological advancements have introduced sophisticated threats, requiring adaptive and resilient peacekeeping approaches to ensure civilian safety.
Sri Lanka is actively pursuing new partnerships and opportunities for collaboration with the United Nations, member states, and regional organizations to strengthen collective capabilities and contribute meaningfully to peacekeeping efforts.
The Deputy Minister also underscored the government’s commitment to empowering women in peacekeeping, in line with national policies to extend military retirement age and promote women in leadership roles.
Reaffirming Sri Lanka’s pledge to uphold the highest standards of conduct and discipline in peacekeeping, Hemachandra stated that Sri Lankan peacekeepers serve under the UN flag with professionalism, integrity, and respect.
He concluded by expressing the new government’s dedication to playing a greater role in global peace and security, urging the United Nations to consider Sri Lanka a trusted and capable partner in advancing the shared goal of effective, responsive, and resilient peacekeeping.
Vesak Day at London Buddhist Vihara, established by Anagarika Dharmapala in 1926), was leld lasdt week (11).
India’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Vikram Kumar Doraiswamy opened a plaque commemorating the Resolution moved at the United Nations General Assembly in 1999 by Sri Lanka’s former Foreign Minister the late Lakshman Kadirgamar calling upon the UN to declare Vesak an international holiday. The Resolution was unanimously adopted the same year.
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