News
Environment Ministry Secretary laments regional cabals’ control over mining of sand and granite
By Rathindra Kuruwita
A cabal of regional politicians and businessmen had put paid to the government efforts to ensure that rural communities enjoyed the benefits of natural resources around them, Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment said.
Jasinghe said: “When I was in the Health Ministry, I thought the pharmaceutical mafia was strong, but now I see that the sand and granite Mafia is as strong as the pharmaceutical Mafia. This Mafia controls the price of sand and granite.”
The regional politicians were controlling sand and granite extraction, and members of the vulnerable rural communities were working for them as labourers. Those politicians and businessmen also flouted laws openly, he said.
“For example, machines can’t be used to extract sand from rivers. They can only be used to extract sand from river beds but everyone knows that machines are used to extract sand directly from the forest. Our ToR is to allow the poor people to benefit from these resources but they are only labourers now”
Dr. Jasinghe said that the economic situation was not good and that members of the vulnerable communities should be allowed to enjoy the benefits of the resources around them.
He said there was a pressing need to regulate the exploitation of such resources as politicians and businessmen were destroying the environment.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to award the contract for printing and supplying vehicle number plates for the Department of Motor Traffic for a period of five (5) years to M/s South Asian Technologies based on the recommendations of the High-Level Standing Procurement Committee and the Procurement Appeal Board.
The National Lotteries board has been established subject to the Finance Act No. 11 of 1963. Having identified the requirement of amending that act which was imposed around 62 years to cater the current requirements of the lottery market, the Cabinet of Mnisters at their meeting held on 14.02.2017 granted approval to draft a new bill for the purpose.
Accordingly, the National Lotteries Board has recognized further amendments to be performed to the fundamental draft bill prepared by the Legal Draftsmen.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the
resolution furnished by the President in his office as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to direct the Legal Draftsmen to finalize the formulation of the draft bill for the National Lotteries Board as soon as possible including the proposed new amendments as well.
The Werahara office of the Department of Motor Traffic performs issuance of temporary driving licenses in this country based on the driving licenses issued overseas, and measures have been initiated to render the service from a service window of the Department of Motor Traffic established at the Bandaranayake International Airport from 03.08.2025.
The fees charged for issuing temporary driving licenses have been published in Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 prepared under the provisions of the Motor Traffic (Authority 203) Act.
But, as the fee of Rupees 2,000/- charged for the service is not sufficient, the requirement of amending the regulations has been recognized.
The regulations for introducing the revised fees have been published in the government extraordinary gazette
notification No. 2463/04 dated 17.11.2025. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development to
submit the regulations to the Parliament for its concurrence.
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M/s South Asian Technologies awarded contract to supply vehicle number plates
A new act for National Lotteries Board to be introduced
Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 to be amended
Mrs. P. K. L. S. Panduwawala appointed to the post of Surveyor General
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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