A preliminary discussion on the final phase of drafting the Budget 2025, which is scheduled to be presented to Parliament on February 17, was held on Thursday (13) afternoon  at the Presidential Secretariat under the leadership of President Anura Kumara Disanayake.

The discussion was attended by Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation K.D. Lalkantha, Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development, Wasantha Samarasinghe, Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dr. Anil Jayanta Fernando, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, along with several senior government officials.

Several Opposition parties have urged the Election Commission (EC) to postpone the local government (LG) polls until late April 2025 in view of the upcoming budget debate and the Sinhala and Tamil New year.

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), among others, have formally submitted a written request to the EC, citing multiple concerns.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, SLFP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera highlighted that the 2025 Budget was set to be presented soon and it would impact the LG polls campaign.

He said the Budget process, which begins on 17 February and concludes at the end of March, would span an entire month, hindering the opposition’s ability to campaign effectively.

“All members of our parties are from various regions across the country and need to engage in campaigning. However, it will be impossible for the 66 opposition MPs to do so, as they will be required to attend the Budget debates. This will severely hinder their campaigning efforts,” MP Jayasekera stated.

Meanwhile, SJB General Secretary MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara, also addressing the media, emphasised the need to take into consideration April New Year celebrations and the upcoming GCE Ordinary Level Examination. He also said the Opposition usually played a key role in the budget debate and all its MPs would have to be present in the House, and therefore they would not be able to take part in election campaigns during that period.

… for investigating food theft from its kitchen

By Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon and Chaminda Silva

Director of the National Eye Hospital in Colombo, Consultant Ophthalmologist Dr. Jayaruwan Bandara, has lodged a complaint with the Ministry of Health, alleging that a group, including the hospital’s chef and kitchen supervisor, forcibly entered his office and threatened him over an ongoing investigation.

Dr Bandara told The Island that he had questioned a kitchen inspector and two employees regarding the theft of food that occurred on 10 February. He said he believed that was the reason behind the threats directed at him.

He said food items had been stolen from the hospital kitchen and he reported the theft to the Ministry of Health, requesting an investigation, but no action had been taken so far.

Dr Bandara stated that during a subsequent visit to the hospital kitchen, he found a large stock of fresh gotu kola discarded.

When he questioned the staff about it, they reacted aggressively and engaged in a heated argument with him. Meanwhile, CCTV footage of food being taken out of the kitchen of National Eye Hospital has begun circulating on social media.