News
CBK – Sirisena patch-up in SLFP’s interest?

By Aruna Boghawatte
Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga has given her consent to join the SLFP again, party sources told the Sunday Island on Friday.She gave her consent to re-join the party when several SLFP stalwarts met her last week, party sources said. Signifying her rejoining, the former President is scheduled to attend SWRD Bandaranaike commemoration scheduled to be held at the Bandaranaike statue in Galle Face tomorrow (8), party sources said.
Kumaratunga was offered the party leadership but she insisted that she must be the party’s chairperson, a position more powerful than the party leadership according to its constitution, sources said.
Incumbent party President and Leader former President Maithripala Sirisena has agreed to give powers to Kumaratunga to appoint members to the party’s Central Committee. However, Kumaratunga has not yet responded to that offer, party sources said, adding that bringing in Chandrika Kumaratunga back to the party is one of the main moves for the party’s reforms program in view of upcoming elections.
The SLFP executive committee and the central committee are scheduled to meet on Monday (8) at the party headquarters in Darley Road where a final decision would be made on the post and powers to be given to former President Kumaratunga, sources said. The committees are also tasked with discussing the ways and means of facing upcoming elections.
Sources said that as of now the incumbent party leadership and top brass have come to an agreement that the party would face any upcoming election in alliance with other like-minded parties.
CBK played a major role in anointing Maithripala Sirisena as the common opposition candidate at the presidential election of 2019 when Sirisena defeated Mahinda Rajapaksa. But she and the president soon became distanced from each other and have not for many years appeared together at Bandaranaike commemoration events.
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Government prioritises development of 2000km of rural roads in Northern and Eastern provinces

The government has identified that development of rural roads is one of the prominent activity of the government’s development agenda and it has planned to introduce a broad access for renovation of roads, construction and maintenance.
Accordingly, it has been decided to prioritize to develop 1,500 kilometres of roads within the northern province and 500 kilometres of roads within the eastern province representing every divisional secretariat division, since most of the roads in the northern and eastern provinces are in dilapidated condition.
Contribution of the public, Community Based Organizations and local government institutions will be obtained to select roads for renovation and upgrading and, approval of the relevant divisional coordination
committee and district coordination committee will be obtained for the recommended road list.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution submitted by the Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation to implement the proposed rural roads enhancement / upgrading programme in northern and eastern provinces.
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Order issued as per production tax (special provisions) act and notification issued as per Excise Ordinance to be presented to Parliament

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the
President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Plan Implementation and Economic Development to submit the order issued under section 3 of the production tax (special provisions) act No. 13 of 1989, (published in the extraordinary gazette notification No. 2418 / 43 dated 10.01.2025) and the notification No. 01/2025 dated 10.01.2025 issued under section 22 of the Excise Ordinance (Authority 52), (published in the extraordinary gazette notification No. 2418 / 42 dated 10.01.2025 ) for the concurrence of Parliament .
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Paddy Marketing Board Act No. 14 of 1971 to be amended

The Paddy Marketing Board Act No. 14 of
The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal submitted by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to take necessary measures to revise the Paddy Marketing Board Act No. 14 of 1971.
(The Paddy Marketing Board Act No. 14 of 1971 has legitimate provisions to establish a board for the purchase of paddy and rice, marketing, supply, milling, polishing and processing as an enterprise and for corresponding matters accompanied with services relevant to it. But 54 years have passed without any updates or revisions)
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