News
Relief package of essential food items prepared for low-income earners ahead of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year
The government is focusing on providing packs of essential food items to low-income earners in preparation for the upcoming Sinhala and Tamil New Year.
In order to make policy decisions related to ensuring food security, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, K.D. Lalkantha, and Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, Wasantha Samarasinghe, along with members of the Food Policy and Security Committee, gathered for the third time on Monday (24) at the Parliament premises to focus on these matters.
The meeting also concentrated on ensuring the continuous availability of essential food items without shortages during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year period, as well as maintaining price control over these goods.
During the meeting, the budget proposal to allocate Rs.01 billion to provide essential food items at subsidized prices to low-income families during the festive season was thoroughly discussed.
The discussion also focused on maintaining essential goods’ prices at minimal levels in the market, with particular attention given to the reduction of bakery product prices.
The purchase of rice was another key point of discussion, with attention directed towards ensuring that rice mill owners use the credit facilities provided to purchase the appropriate quantities of rice. Concerns were raised that some rice mill owners were using the credit for other purposes, and officers were instructed to investigate these matters.
It was disclosed that several prominent rice mill owners had obtained over 15 billion rupees in bank loans for the procurement of rice. Consequently, the government plans to purchase 250,000 metric tons of rice and has focused on encouraging smaller rice mill owners to engage in the purchasing process. Officials were further directed to ensure the prevention of any rice shortages.
Additionally, the meeting discussed the expansion of the cooperative and Sathosa trade networks to offer essential goods at subsidized prices to consumers. The establishment of a consumer-friendly market, supported by effective price controls, was also addressed.
The meeting included the participation of 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, consisting of ministry secretaries.
The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) on Friday said the largest groundwater source discovered in Sri Lanka so far had been identified during tube-well drilling near the Pitabeddara Police Station.
Indrajith Gamage, geologist in charge of the Southern Province, said the source recorded a continuous flow of about 10,000 litres (10 cubic metres) per minute, marking the first instance in the country where a groundwater source of that magnitude had been found.
He noted that the previous largest groundwater source was discovered in the Madhu area, which recorded a flow of about 7,000 litres per minute.
According to the NWSDB, the tube well was drilled following geological studies of rock layers and the identification of underground water through fractures in rock strata using specialised technical instruments.
The Board said steps would be taken to distribute water from the newly discovered source to residents facing shortages in Pitabeddara, Morawaka and surrounding areas.
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has formally handed over its historical records to the National Archives Department, entrusting over a century of the nation’s commercial history to the country’s official custodians of heritage.
The archive, spanning from the CCC’s founding in 1839 to 1973, includes correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, ledgers, and publications that chronicle the development of trade, enterprise, and industry in Sri Lanka. Together, the records provide a rare and detailed account of the island’s economic evolution and the role of its business community in shaping national progress.
The Ministry of Defence said on Friday (13) that arrangements had been made to repatriate to Iran the bodies of 84 sailors who died aboard the IRIS Dena, which sank in the southern seas off Sri Lanka.
A special aircraft carrying the bodies departed from Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport on Friday, the Ministry said, adding that the repatriation was carried out in coordination with the Embassy of Iran in Sri Lanka.
The remains had been kept in two mobile cold-storage units at the Galle National Hospital before being transported to Mattala by lorry following a court order. Forty-five bodies were moved in the morning, while the remaining 39 were transported later in the day.
Earlier this month, the Iranian naval vessel suffered an incident about 40 nautical miles off Port of Galle while carrying around 180 personnel. Thirty-five rescued sailors were admitted to the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital, while 84 bodies were subsequently recovered.
Following the incident, Pete Hegseth confirmed that the Iranian vessel had been sunk in international waters by a torpedo fired from a submarine of the United States Navy.
Showers will occur at several places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-western and Uva provinces and in Galle, Matara, Mannar and Anuradhapura districts after 2.00 pm.
Lanka discovers largest groundwater source
Lanka’s commercial legacy preserved in National Archives
Bodies of 84 Iranian sailors flown home
Kirsten brings pedigree, but Sri Lanka must fix the system
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