News
Bathiudeen to appeal to Supreme Court against Court of Appeal decision against him over destruction of Kallaru

By Rathindra Kuruwita
MP Rishad Bathiudeen on Saturday told the PCoI investigating the Easter Sunday attacks that he would appeal to the Supreme Court against the decision of the Court of Appeal regarding the deforestation of the Kallaru forest reserve.
Justice Janak de Silva and Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne who delivered the verdict on the destruction of the forest are also members of the PCoI.
Bathiudeen made this statement when a Commissioner asked him how many Sinhala people he had resettled when he was the Minister of Resettlement.
Bathiudeen said that more 200,000 Tamils had been resettled and he looked at taking steps to resettle businessmen including Sinhala bakery owners in the Eastern Province.
Bathiudeen said: “There were only 2% Sinhalese population in the Northern Province and there were 5% Muslims. During the war Sinhalese and Muslims were made to leave.”
After defeating the LTTE in 2009, the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration commenced resettlement under the supervision of the current National Organizer of SLPP Basil Rajapaksa, Bathiudeen said.
“As the Chairman of the Vanni District Committee, I gave my fullest support to it. 5,000 Sinhalese were resettled in Kalabogaswewa, Namalgama. Almost 75, 100 year old large trees were cut down to resettle these people,” he said.
MP Bathiudeen said that no one had filed a petition against the above matter and Vijaya village in Kallaru houses had also been built for Sinhala people.
“The trees in Kallaru have not been cut down to resettle Internally Displaced Persons (IDP). We will challenge the Wilpattu verdict in the Supreme Court.”
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Cabinet nod to obtain additional financial facilities from the world Bank for the General Education Modernization Project (GEM)

The Education Modernization Project (GEM) has been implemented since 2018 with funding of US$ 100 million supplied by the World Bank.
All the project components identified under this project have been implemented and have achieved the expected results. It has been observed that there is the ability to obtain an additional financial facility of US$ 50 million from the funds remaining in other projects to implement several components identified under this project. These additional funds are expected to improve the digital infrastructure of the school relevant to the new educational reforms scheduled for implementation in 2026, enhance the sanitary facilities of the selected 900 schools across all provinces, appraise reformed subjects, and implement professional development programs for teachers.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Prime Minister in her capacity as the Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education to reach a consensus with the World Bank to obtain the proposed additional financing.
News
Committee to monitor utilization of Rs 5000/- allowance provided for children at Child development centres

Institutional care is provided to children who have lost both their parents or guardians or are under the guardianship of one or both parents but there is no protection or security in the homes they are living in, as well as to orphaned and abandoned children in detention centers or child development centers.
It has been reported that there are about 9,191 children in the residential care of 356 children Development Centers that are maintained by the government, voluntary organizations, and non-governmental organizations throughout the country as at the end of 2024.
A provision of Rs. 1,000 million has been allocated by the budget for 2025 to provide a Rs. 5,000 /-allowance monthly for the children or street children who are in institutional care or guardianship.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Women and Child Affairs to appoint a monitoring committee chaired by the Secretary to the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, comprising officers from other relevant institutions for the necessary guidance and post-review activities to continue this program sustainably and effectively, and to provide the aforementioned allowance in the following manner.
• Out of the Rs. 5,000 allowance, Rs. 3,000/- will be made available through the National Savings Bank to the development center where the child is or the guardian, for the education, health, and other welfare expenses that should be provided by them through the National Savings Bank.
• The balance amount of Rs. 2000/- should be deposited monthly in a savings account in the child’s name at the National Savings Bank for his / her future well-being.
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Cabinet gives green light to formulate a national policy for the rehabilitation of child offenders

The primary objective of the child rehabilitation process is to identify the disruptive behaviour of a child who becomes a criminal before the law and to enable him or her to live as a law-abiding citizen in society.
Accordingly, when taking action against a child who has become a criminal before the law, mediation, admonition and release, conditional release, probation for child offenders who can be rehabilitated in the open environment, rehabilitation under Community Correctional Service, and detention in correctional
centers are carried out depending on the nature of the offense.
It has been identified that the economic and social background of children who become criminals before the law and family background should be studied, and the rehabilitation of such children should be carried out in accordance with the accepted national policy.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Women and Child Affairs to draft “The national policy for the rehabilitation of child offenders” with the contribution of the government, other stake holders, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
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