News
Patali: Operation Yukthiya has left some children destitute
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The ongoing countrywide drug bust known as the Operation Yukthiya has created serious social problems with many children being left without their parents due to indiscriminate arrests, Patali Champika Ranawaka, leader of the United Republican Front (URF) says.
“Police have arrested a large number of former and current drug addicts. Sometimes, both mother and father have been taken away. The operation has created a situation where boys join underworld gangs and girls take to prostitution.
All across Colombo, there are many instances where children are starving because their parents are being held on remand. Most of them cannot afford to pay legal fees,” Ranawaka said on Wednesday (03)
Although the crackdown on the drug mafia had entered its third week, none of the key figures in the underworld had been arrested, Ranawaka said, criticising the police for demolishing selected buildings near the beach on the grounds that they had been built with proceeds from narcotic sale.
“The Coast Conservation Department (CCD) is empowered to remove structures that have been built too close to the ocean, he said. “In some areas, you can’t build permanent structures within 100 metres of the beach. In some areas it is 30 metres. The CCD has the legal authority to get rid of these structures. If necessary, they can take legal action for the removal of these constructions.
However, now the police have alleged that these buildings were constructed with drug money. This is illegal,” Ranawaka said, adding that there could be an ulterior motive for removing certain business places while allowing others to continue with their operations. During the latter part of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s second term, the security forces had been deployed to demolish buildings selectively and that had led to his electoral defeat, Ranawaka said.
Under a URF administration, new laws would be brought in to make it a punishable offence to come to power by making false promises. For example, some people in Viyathmaga told the people that the GDP growth under the Yahapalana administration was 3% and under the Gotabaya administration it would rise to 7%. Ultimately, under that government the economy contracted by 7%. “Bankrupting a state is a serious crime. We know who is responsible. The entire Cabinet of ministers under Gotabaya are responsible for the calamity we are facing now,” Champika alleged.
Ranawaka said the Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration’s disastrous handling of the pandemic and the economy would be thoroughly investigated under a URF government.
“We don’t accept the official COVID death figures. More than 15,000 people died. We will investigate this and the economic mismanagement and punish those responsible,” Ranawaka said.
Advisory for strong winds and rough seas for Multi-day boats in the Bay of Bengal deep sea areas
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 05.00 p.m. 18 September 2026, valid for the next 24 hours.
PLEASE BE AWARE!
The atmospheric disturbance to the North of the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal, is likely to develop into a low pressure area within the next 24 hours.
Due to its influence, wind speed over the Bay of Bengal sea areas will increase during the next few days starting from
tomorrow (19th).
The wind speed in the sea areas marked under the “Advisory” category on the map below will increase to 55-65 kmph at times and those sea areas will be rough or very rough at times.
Navel and fishing communities engaging the activities over this sea area are advised to be vigilant and be attentive to the future forecasts and bulletins issued by the department of Meteorology in this regards.
Text and Pic by Priyan de Silva
Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC) Ranga Dissanayake has questioned whether some promises contained in the National People’s Power (NPP) manifesto, A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life, could be fulfilled even if the government wanted to implement them.
Dissanayake raised the issue during a discussion following the release of the third biannual report on manifesto monitoring by the March 12 Movement, at the BMICH, on Wednesday.
He questioned whether the report had taken into account legal and institutional constraints affecting the implementation of certain pledges.
Citing the proposal to establish Anti-Corruption Investigation Offices in each district, Dissanayake said such offices could be established only with the agreement of CIABOC and that amendments to the Anti-Corruption Act would be necessary.
He also referred to the pledge to abolish the Executive Presidency, noting that successive governments had made similar commitments since 1994. He questioned whether there had been adequate consideration of where the powers vested in the Executive President would be transferred if the system were abolished.
On the proposal to establish a Public Prosecutor, Dissanayake questioned whether the Government intended to maintain the office alongside the Attorney General, who currently performs prosecution-related functions.
Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES) Manjula Gajanayake said Dissanayake’s remarks should be regarded as his personal views and not as Government policy.
Monitoring and Evaluation Consultants M. Thilakarajah and D.D. Mataharaarachchi presented the third-phase findings, covering January to June 2026.
The corruption case filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) against former Navy Commander, Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda, and Yoshitha Rajapaksa was set for a pre-trial conference by the Colombo High Court.
The case was taken up before the Colombo High Court on Thursday (17), when the accused, who are currently out on bail, appeared before the court. After considering the submissions made, the court ordered that the case be called for a pre-trial conference.
The CIABOC had filed the case against the accused, alleging that a corruption offence was committed by sending Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, for training at the Royal Naval College in the United Kingdom despite him not having the required qualifications.
Advisory for strong winds and rough seas for Multi-day boats in the Bay of Bengal
Showers in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya Districts
Some NPP manifesto promises may be difficult to fulfil – CIABOC DG
Yoshitha and ex-Navy chief Karannagoda’s case fixed for PTC
Court orders probe into Wimal’s rally speech
Court to rule on Dilith’s writ petition on September 30
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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