News

UNP Chairman predicts plantation sector will take years to recover from blow dealt by fertiliser ban

Published

5 years ago

2021/09/23

By Piyasena Dissanayake

Tea, rubber and coconut industries would not be able to recover from the damage done to them by the ban on chemical fertiliser for years to come, UNP Chairman and former minister Wajira Abeywardena said yesterday.

Speaking to journalists after attending a religious ceremony to mark the birth anniversaries of former President JR Jayewardene and Anagarika Dharmapala at the Parama Dhamma Chethiya Privena, Ratmalana, the former minister said the chemical fertiliser ban introduced to promote organic farming practices had dealt a severe blow to the agriculture and plantation sectors.

“The tea industry took a hit, alongside the rubber industry, followed by the coconut industry. Over 90 percent of farmers use chemical fertiliser. There are reports that 89 percent of those involved in the cultivation of tea, rubber and coconut cry for chemical fertilisers seeing the inevitable collapse of their industries. The damage inflicted on the three industries will not be erased for many years to come,” Abeywardena said.

He said that tea accounted for 10 percent of the country’s export income, and producers expressed fears that they might lose up to 50 percent of their crop production.

Asked to comment on the government’s decision to permit only two companies to import chemical fertilisers, Abeywardena said the government should withdraw that restriction and permit the free import of them. “Even if the government lifts the ban now to permit chemical fertiliser imports, the plantations have suffered losses that would remain for at least one and a half years to two years.”

He said that the government should not be ashamed to reverse its decision. “Such mistakes happen. The best option before the government is to step down from its arrogance to withdraw its ban,” Abeywardena said.

Associated with the UNP Chairman were party’s Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene, former MP Saman Ratnapriya, Chairman of the UNP Buddhist Committee and UNP Maharagama organiser Attorney-at-Law Sudath Jayasundara, Secretary of the Ratmalana UNP Bala Mandalaya former Municipal Council Member Akila Rajapkshe, Secretary of the Buddhist Committee Maharagama Municipal Council member Renuka Senaratne and party supporters.

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Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

16 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

News

Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

Published

16 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

News

Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

16 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.