News

Police raid illicit brewery, seize artificial toddy:

Published

6 years ago

2020/09/8

Monk says corruption helps racketeers thrive

The Walana Police Anti-Vice Strike Force raided an artificial toddy distillery at Weerakodiyana in Dummalasooriya and seized 36,000 litres of the illicit brew, eight plastic barrels, 50 kilos of sugar, 75 kilos of ammonia and 100 packets of yeast yesterday.

Police said the raid had been carried out on a tip-off that an artificial toddy distillery had been run under the guise of a poultry farm.

The raiding party had arrested a person who was in charge of the operation.

The suspects and paraphernalia were handed over to the Dummalsooriya police for legal action.

The suspect has divulged that their brew was supplied to a private liquor company to be used as raw material to produce coconut arrack, police said.

In a statement issued yesterday following the raid, the President of the Nawa Sinhala Rawaya, Ven Magalkande Sudattha Thera said that the illicit toddy industry was thriving despite isolated raids at various places in the country.

In the statement Sudattha Thera said that police, the STF and other law enforcement units had conducted successful raids at many places in the country in the recent past. “Thereafter the police hand over the suspects and contraband to the Excise Department for legal action. The Excise Department officials in most of the cases do not produce those suspects and contraband in the courts. Instead they make use of some provisions in the Excise Act and define the offence as a technical one and release the suspects after levying a settlement fee. Many illicit toddy producers have licences for toddy tapping. The Excise Department punishment has no deterrent effect on the offenders.”

“Hundred thousands of litres of illicit toddy have been seized during the recent past. As per the number of raids all around the country, the illicit toddy business would have been wiped out. But it thrives because officials are victims of inducements by the owners of the illicit toddy industry. During the recent raid, the police found three bags containing 25 kilos of ammonia to be used to produce toddy. That was in addition to 36,000 litres of illicit toddy. How could the government ensure public safety when the poison is being sold in bottles in the name of toddy? The President has launched an initiative to prevent corruption in the public sector. We hope that this issue too would be taken into consideration by the government.”

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News

Animal Welfare Draft Bill to be Gazetted

Published

3 hours ago

2026/06/24

Priyan

A specialists committee has been appointed by the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation adhering to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 29.12.2025 for submitting appropriate recommendations analyzing the provisions of the draft bill formulation in regard to Animal Welfare.

Based on the recommendations of the said Committee, the Legal Draftsman has been instructed at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on 18.05.2026 to prepare the final bill on the animal welfare.

Wherefore, the Legal Draftsman has formulated the draft bill and the clearance of the Attorney General has been received in the connection.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to publish the said draft bill in the
Government Gazette Notification and subsequently forward the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.

News

Legal provisions on marking voters using indelible ink during elections removed

Published

3 hours ago

2026/06/24

Priyan

Under the legal provisions for elections in this country since 2004, it is mandatory for voters who come to mark their votes to verify their identity through a valid identity card, and it is also mandatory for all such voters to be marked with an appropriate mark using indelible ink. The dual purpose of these two functions is to prevent a voter from voting more than once in a single election.

It has been observed that having to follow two different
methods at the same time to achieve the same objective hinders the efficiency of the duties performed at the polling stations and also incurs additional costs to the government.

Therefore, it has been deemed appropriate to remove the legal provisions regarding the use of indelible ink and marking the voter with the appropriate mark from all election acts.

Accordingly, the development activities of the province, as well as national security, will benefit. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the
President to take necessary steps to remove the legal provisions

• Section 36 of the presidential Election Act, No 15 of 1981
• Section 38 of the Parliamentary Election Act, No 01 of 1981
• Section 36 of the Provincial Council Election Act, No 02 of 1988
• Section 53 A of the Local Government Elections Ordinance (262 Authority)
• Section 21 of the Referendum Act No 7 of 1981

News

Showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts

Published

4 hours ago

2026/06/24

Priyan

WEATHER FORECAST FOR 24 JUNE 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 24 June 2026 by the Department of Meteorology

Several spells of showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts. Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva province and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts after 2.00 p.m.

Fairly strong winds about (30-40) kmph can be expectedat times over the Western slopes of the central hills, the Northern, North-central, North-western and Southern provinces and in Trincomalee district.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.