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Govt. turned holy event into a mess: Kiriella
Former SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella has said the JVP/NPP government totally mishandled the Siri Dalada Vandana relic exposition and now Kandy is reeking of waste.
Kiriella said the government’s lack of planning and experience in organising large-scale national events had led to serious public health concerns in both the city and its suburbs.
“They invited the public to Kandy even without ensuring that at least adequate sanitary facilities would be available. Now, the streets are strewn with heaps of garbage, human waste, polythene bags, and even bottles of urine. People are increasingly worried that this could trigger a disease outbreak.
“The government failed in every aspect of planning. It should have learnt from how former Presidents Ranasinghe Premadasa and Mahinda Rajapaksa handled similar expositions,” Kiriella said. “Those leaders began preparations three months ahead of the events.
They held at least 15 planning meetings, inviting MPs from both the government and Opposition to ensure proper coordination.”
Kiriella said that under past administrations, more than 10 ministries worked in unison to provide infrastructure and support for the event. “The Health Ministry ensured a steady water supply, the Housing Ministry provided tents and huts, and the Ministry of Tourism handled food and refreshments,” he recalled.
“The current government did none of this. What should have been a spiritual and well-organised national event was turned into a nightmare,” Kiriella said.
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted to the preparation of the Appropriation Bill for the financial year of 2027 at their meeting held on 30.06.2026.
Accordingly, clearance of the Attorney General has been given to the Appropriation Bill prepared by the Legal Draftsman.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to publish the aforementioned draft bill in the government gazette notification and thereby submit the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
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Cabinet approves aditional Rs. 2,500 million to the Paddy Marketing Board to purchase 2026 Yala harvest
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation to provide an additional Rs. 2,500 million to the Paddy Marketing Board on a reimbursable basis from the Rs. 7,500 million additional allocations granted to the Ministry to implement
the expedited paddy purchasing program for the 2026 Yala harvest.
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Cabinet nod to host the 8th Asian Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the 3rd Joint Asian and South-East Asian Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
The 8th Asian Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and the 3rd Joint Asian and South-East Asian Regional Conference of the CPA are planned to be held over three days in Colombo during April/May 2027.
Approximately 90 delegates including speakers, Deputy Speakers, Member of Parliamentarians, and Parliamentary officers representing member countries of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, in the Asian and South-East Asian regions, are expected to participate in these conferences.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Prime Minister of the Parliament of Sri Lanka to host the said conferences considering the opportunities to strengthen parliamentary diplomacy and regional cooperation, as well as to enhance international recognition of the Parliament of Sri Lanka within the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
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