News
Sajith calls on govt. to revise circular on providing relief
By Saman Indrajith
SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday called on the government to amend a circular on the provision of relief to those affected by disasters and inclement weather as the amount of money given was not sufficient.
Making a special statement in Parliament, Premadasa said that amounts allocated according to the current circular were not sufficient for those affected by floods and other natural disasters.
“This circular was issued on May 16, 2022 by the Ministry of Disaster Management and relief is currently being provided as per it. We have been told that Rs. 1 million has been sent to the Divisional Secretariats to provide relief. This is not enough. As per the circular Rs. 450 is allocated for cooked food per person per day. If it is dry ration Rs. 1,350 is allocated per person per week.
These amounts are not realistic. The circular allocates for seven days Rs. 1,800 per family of two, Rs. 2,100 per family of three, Rs, 2,400 per family of four and Rs, 2,700 per family of five. When these amounts are divided among the number of persons, a person in a family of two gets Rs. 900, a person, a family of three gets Rs. 700, a person, a family of four gets Rs. 600, while a person in a family of five gets Rs. 540. How could a person live a week on Rs 900? Not even a single meal could be afforded by the allocation stipulated per day. As such I call on the government to take immediate action to amend this circular and go for upward revision immediately and provide assistance to the victims,” Premadasa said.
This method has to be changed and the amounts must be increased immediately. Had there been a proper mechanism devised to provide relief to people, the amounts allotted for the purpose should have been increased annually, Premadasa said.
He also called on the government to explain to Parliament as to how and why it could not fix a Doppler radar system to forecast climatic and weather conditions. It has been stated by the Ministry of Defence that it needed at least two more months to affix a Doppler radar system anew. Soon after the tsunami in 2004, this country received a Doppler radar system as a donation. After that it was said to be fixed on a tower at Gongala mountain in Deniyaya. This task of building the tower was handed over to the CECB (Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau). This has not been set up yet. We need to know why the Doppler radar that we got free as a donation is not used and why it is not being installed,” Premadasa said.
A heated argument broke out between Jaffna District MP Archchuna Ramanathan and Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar during the Kilinochchi District Coordination Committee meeting held yesterday (16).
A video footage of the incident shows the MP and the Minister engaging in a heated verbal exchange, following which a physical confrontation appeared to develop when the Minister attempted to grab files reportedly in the possession of MP Ramanathan.
“If you lay a hand on me, I’ll lay a hand on you too… got it?” Ramanathan is heard telling the Minister during the exchange.
Police and officials present at the meeting intervened to prevent the situation from escalating further.
The circumstances that led to the confrontation were not immediately clear.
Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has filed an intervening petition before the Court of Appeal in connection with a petition filed by former head of the State Intelligence Service, Major General (Retired) Suresh Sallay, challenging his arrest and detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act over investigations into the Easter Sunday terror attacks.
The Cardinal has sought permission from the court to make submissions in relation to Sallay’s petition and requested that it be dismissed.
The Colombo High Court yesterday fixed for Aug. 31 the pre-trial conference in the money laundering case filed by the Attorney General against former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son, Yoshitha Rajapaksa, and his great-aunt Daisy Forrest.
The case was taken up before Colombo High Court Judge Rashmi Singappuli.
State Counsel Oswald Perera requested court to fix a date for the pre-trial conference and informed the judge that the prosecution would announce its position regarding the second accused, Daisy Forrest, at the conference. He also said the prosecution intended to notify court of amendments to the indictment.
After considering the submissions, Judge Singappuli ordered that the pre-trial conference be held on Aug. 31.
The Attorney General has indicted Yoshitha Rajapaksa and Daisy Forrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, alleging that they deposited nearly Rs. 59 million in bank accounts knowing, or having reason to believe, that the funds had been unlawfully acquired.
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