News
“Buddha Rashmi Vesak Festival 2025” from May 13
A discussion regarding the “Buddha Rashmi Vesak Festival”, organized jointly by the Hunupitiya Gangaramaya Temple and the Prime Minister’s Office, was held on Wednesday [March 12] at the Prime Minister’s Office under the patronage of Secretary to Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri.
The “Buddha Rashmi Vesak Festival 2025” is scheduled to be held from May 13 onwards in the vicinity of the Hunupitiya Gangaramaya Temple, the Temple Trees official residence, Perahera Mawatha, and the Beira Lake area.
The event will be featured by the exhibitions of Vesak decorations, Vesak pandals, and lanterns organized by the Tri-Forces, school students, university undergraduates, government institutions, and Prison inmates. Additionally, in line with the Buddha Rashmi Vesak Festival, special attention is drawn to conduct religious programme in government schools and state institutions.
The occasion was honored by the presence of the Chief Incumbent of Gangaramaya Temple, Dr. Kirinde Assaji Thero, and Dr. Pallegama Ratanasara Thero.
The discussion was attended by Secretary to Ministry of Defense H.S.S. Thuiyakottah, Secretary to the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs W.P. Senadheera, Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Lasantha Rodrigo, along with heads of security forces and officials of government institutions.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
Accepting deposits from political parties and independent groups who intend to contest the forthcoming Local Authorities Election ended at 12noon today [19].
Deposits were accepted at respective District Secretariats from 3rd March 2025.
The Elections Commission has announced that the deadline for the accepting of nominations for the LA poll is set to conclude at 12:00 noon tomorrow (20).
It has been reported that the former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon has appeared before the Matara Magistrate’s Court this morning (19),
The former IGP had been evading arrest after the Matara Magistrate’s court had ordered his arrest regarding a shooting incident that took place in front of the W15 Hotel Pelena, Weligama, Matara, in 2023.
The government has begun recovering funds obtained by former Lands and Land Development, Environment and Wildlife Resources Minister SM Chandrasena for the Janatha Lanka Chilli Marketing Limited (JLCML), which he headed, Parliament was informed yesterday.
Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation Minister Namal Karunaratne said that as the Chairman of JLCML, Chandrasena had obtained a loan of Rs. 1,275,000 from the Mihintale Govijana Seva Bank in 2001.
The principal of the loan had not been repaid until the end of last year. “After we came to power, we demanded that the loan be settled. Then, we discovered that the interest on the loan had not been paid for the past 24 years, and attempts had been made to have the loan written off. We stopped that and are now in the process of recovering the interest of Rs. 1,975,233 on the loan,” Karunaratne said.
Karunaratne added that JLCML was registered as a company with the Registrar of Companies on March 21, 2001. As Chairman of the company, Chandrasena requested a loan of Rs. 10 million on April 19, 2001, for the purpose of purchasing chillies from farmers in 12 farmer colonies in the Mihintale Agrarian Service area.
The request was approved by the Mihintale Agrarian Service Committee on the same day and referred to the Anuradhapura District Agrarian Operations Committee, which approved it on April 23, 2001. However, the Agriculture Development Commissioner General recommended that a loan of Rs. 1.2 million would suffice for this purpose. JLCML took the loan and failed to repay it until the end of last year. When the matter was raised, the principal was paid, and we are now in the process of recovering the interest that was not paid for the past 24 years,” Karunaratne added.
By Saman Indrajith
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