News
English education should not be limited to the rich: Kandy Bishop
Bishop of Kandy, His Lordship Bishop Valance Mendis, recently stressed the pivotal importance of providing quality education to children of those long suffering people of Kalpitiya peninsula, including those who live on the islands, if they are to protect their rights.
Bishop Mendis, who is also Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Chilaw, said that English education should not be limited to the rich. Bishop Mendis highlighted the importance of valuebased education for which the Church is committed.
Bishop Mendis was addressing a gathering after the opening of a new branch of the John Paul II English Medium College, and blessing of the newly built Convent for the Sisters of Perpetual Help, on Feb. 10. The events coincided with Rev. Fr. Sampath Prasanga taking over the reins as the new Parish Priest of Kalpitiya.
Bishop Mendis said that social and environmental injustices couldn’t be successfully overcome without improving education. Referring to the daunting challenges, faced by the Kalpitiya population over the past few decades, Bishop Mendis pointed out how the coal-fired power plant, at Norochcholai, caused serious health issues. There were plans to sell some of the fisheries islands of Kalpitiya to foreign countries for tourism. Then, there was the corrupt garbage dumping project, at Aruwakkau, which was promoted by former governments, which became a severe environmental hazard, even to the people in Kalpitiya. In all those instances, the Church came forward to protect the rights of the people and, as a result, their right to life, and livelihood, in the islands, is protected today.
The Branch School of St. John Paul II College and the newly built Convent were blessed by Bishop Mendis.
The school building was constructed, under the supervision of Rev. Fr. Sampath Prasanga, who received appointment as its first principal.
The Procurator General of Chilaw Diocese, Rev. Fr. Nelson Samantha Fernando, saw to it that the Convent building was ready, to coincide with the opening of the School. The services of the Perpetual Help Sisters will be a blessing to Kalpitiya, the Bishop said.
The proceedings of the day was marked by the farewell accorded to Rev. Fr. Arosh Priyanga, the outgoing Parish Priest, and welcome to the new Parish Priest, which was held in the Church of Our Lady of Good Voyage, in Kalpitiya.
The Bishop appreciated the yeomen service rendered by Fr. Arosh to the people of Kalpitiya.
The Parish of Kalpitiya is now having three priests for the first time. Bishop Mendis said that they would serve 14 churches in Kalpitiya, which includes the 10 islands, namely, Battalangunduwa, Palliyawatta, Siinagunduwa, Karativu, Mohottuwarama, Utchimune, Palugahathurai, Pukkulam, Bottuwadiya and Keerimundel.
The Sunday Masses are celebrated in all the islands and one Priest resides in Battalangunduwa Island, from Friday to Monday, looking after their spiritual needs.
At the end of the ceremony, a short meeting was held with the representatives of the islands where they expressed their love and gratitude to the Rev. Fathers who serve them with love and generosity, bracing all challenges.
The Opposition yesterday called for the entire Cabinet-of-Ministers to accept responsibility for the coal scam. Addressing the media at the Flower Road Office of UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, former Foreign Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris emphasised that Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody’s resignation, in the wake of the damning report issued by the National Audit Office (NAO), has now implicated the entire Cabinet-of-Ministers.
Prof. Peiris asserted that Jayakody, who had been indicted in the Colombo High Court over alleged corruption, during the Yahapalana administration, stepped down after the NPP failed to suppress the truth on the coal scam.
The ex-Minister declared that Jayakody’s resignation, the first since the formation of new government, with a super majority in Parliament, was a devastating setback for the current dispensation.
The internationally recognised legal scholar said that a future government would move courts against the entire NPP Cabinet. Referring to the NAO report submitted to Parliament, Prof. Peiris emphasised that there was absolutely no ambiguity regards allegations directed at the Energy Ministry. The NAO report proved that the Indian company, Trident Champhar, that won the major contract, didn’t even have the required registration.
Prof. Peiris said that the coal scam was three times bigger than the Treasury bond scams, perpetrated during the Yahapalana time (SF)
The Colombo High Court yesterday ordered that the case, filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and his grand-aunt Daisy Forrest Wickramasinghe, be recalled on June 10.
The case was taken up before High Court Judge Rashmi Singappuli.
At the hearing, State Counsel informed the court that a related case, on similar charges, had been filed before High Court No. 08. The court was further informed that a revised indictment has been directed to be filed in that case, necessitating the submission of a revised indictment in the present case as well.
State Counsel requested time to report on the progress of those proceedings.
Accordingly, the judge ordered that the case be called on June 10 and directed that progress be reported on that date.
The case pertains to three indictments filed by the Attorney General alleging that between March 31, 2009, and December 12, 2013, the accused had committed an offence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act by depositing over Rs. 59 million in three private banks, the source of which could not be explained.
A three-judge bench of the Colombo Special High Court yesterday rejected a request by former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundera to introduce additional facts to a statement he had previously made from the dock.
Jayasundera is an accused in the case filed over alleged criminal negligence in failing to prevent the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, despite prior intelligence warnings.
The order was delivered by the bench, presided over by Justice Priyantha Liyanage.
Meanwhile, retired Senior Deputy Inspector General (SDIG) Nandana Munasinghe and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in charge of the Eastern Province, Waruna Jayasundera, appeared before court as defence witnesses.
Opposition holds NPP Cabinet responsible for coal scam, three times bigger than bond fraud
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