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President raps Archeological Dept for obtaining funds from monks
ECONOMYNEXT – President Ranil Wickremesinghe was critical of state-run Department of Archeology after it said it had obtained money from monks to carry out archeological work.
The president’s comment at a meeting comes amid rising concerns as officials of Archeological Department had heightened activities related to archeology in the former war zone of Tamil-majority North and East of Sri Lanka.
Ethnic minority Tamils have been protesting against the move, citing that the Archeological Department is attempting to construct Buddhist temples in their religious sites.
Resolving land issue in the North and East is one of the key demands by minority Tamils in the national reconciliation move. The President has promised to ensure reconciliation by end of this year and Tamil parties have agreed to discuss the issues with Wickremesinghe.
The Director General of Archeological Department told the President that the priority has been given to the for north and east, because it was neglected for 30 years and mostly they do not get government money, but from different funding agencies. The official said sometimes the Archeological Department is given funds by monks.
“You can’t do that because this is a national policy. We can’t do if somebody asks us to look into somewhere in Jaffna or Colombo, we can’t do that,” Wickremesinghe told the meeting held to discuss about issues related to lands.
“You only spend the money given by the government External Resource Department. You can’t do anything from others. You are not a private firm.”
He asked the Archeological Department officials to submit a plan on their activities for approval.
“If something is found, nobody can construct a house or Buddhist temple there. It is owned by the country. I spoke to northern people and they said they will look after (archeological sites). If they don’t, let’s send the police. The government can look after that. If somebody is trying to break it, let’s deploy military and police.”
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Food Policy and Security Committee recommends importation of rice to ensure an uninterrupted supply
The Food Policy and Security Committee has recommended the importation of rice in the near future to ensure an uninterrupted supply for consumers.
A notable increase in rice prices has been observed in the market, along with reports of shortages of certain rice varieties, despite the current harvest season.
Given this situation, discussions were held regarding the need for the Cabinet to prioritize the maintenance of sufficient stock, through rice imports.
The Committee, chaired by Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation K.D. Lalkantha and Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Vasantha Samarasinghe, convened for the fifth time at the Presidential Secretariat on Tuesday (01). The meeting aimed to formulate policy decisions to ensure food security.
During the discussions, it was revealed that due to excessive rainfall this year, crop damage occurred on two occasions, leading to a significant reduction in the expected harvest.
Furthermore, during the meeting it was stated that the improper use of rice for animal feed is another major reason contributing to the rice shortage. As a result, the Committee also focused on the importation of broken rice for animal feed and the use of alternative feeds to mitigate the impact on livestock production.
Accordingly, the Food Policy and Security Committee approved the formation of a Committee, led by the Director General of Agriculture, to oversee the importation of the required quantity of broken rice through proper mechanisms.
Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Kapila Janaka Bandara, and other members of the Food Policy and Security Committee, including Ministry Secretaries, participated in the discussions.
The People of Myanmar are facing immense hardships caused by the devastating earthquake on 28th March and as reported by the international media reports the death toll is over 2,700. Furthermore, it has been reported that many people are missing while, a large number of individuals have been injured and are receiving treatment.
Considering the long – term close relationship between the two nations as two Buddhist states, the Cabinet of Ministers has decided to provide,
• A sum of United States Dollars One Million
• Transportation for the dry rations collected by Buddhist clergy and other donors
• To have a group of medical officers and health staff on standby for immediate departure to Myanmar if necessary
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Cabinet appoints ministerial committee to submit report on sanctions imposed on 04 Sri Lankans by the United Kingdom
Attention of the Cabinet of Ministers have been drawn on the decisions taken by the United Kingdom to impose sanctions on four Sri Lankan individuals recently, and have decided to appoint a committee comprised of three ministers to submit a report with recommendations on the further measures to be taken after studying the facts in the regard and to empower the committee to obtain the service of any officer/intellect deemed to have subject expertise in the relevant field and considered essential.
The committee will comprise of :
– Vijitha Herath Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism
– Attorney – at – Law Harshana Nanayakkara Minister of Justice and National Integrity
– Aruna Jayasekara Deputy Minister of Defence
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Food Policy and Security Committee recommends importation of rice to ensure an uninterrupted supply
Cabinet approves providing relief to the people of Myanmar
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