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HC Moragoda calls on UP CM, proposes concrete mechanism for cooperation in culture and tourism
Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda, accompanied by a delegation of senior High Commission officials, paid a courtesy call on the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath on Thursday (28) afternoon at the Chief Minister’s official residence in Lucknow. The Chief Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Government Shri Rajendra Kumar Tiwari and several other key State officials were present at the meeting.
The courtesy call on the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh by the High Commissioner came as part of the latter’s plan to expand Sri Lanka’s footprint at state level to promote greater interactions between Sri Lanka and the states of the Indian Union as stipulated in his policy road map the “Integrated Country Strategy for Sri Lanka Diplomatic Missions in India”.
The Chief Minister extended a warm welcome to High Commissioner Moragoda and the delegation. During the very cordial discussion that followed, the two dignitaries reviewed the ancient and strong cultural and religious affinities between Uttar Pradesh and Sri Lanka and discussed the ways to further strengthen them. The Chief Minister stated that they were very happy and honoured to have a high-profile delegation from Sri Lanka in the inaugural flight to the new international airport in Kushinagar. The High Commissioner thanked the Chief Minister for the excellent arrangements that were in place for the delegation from Sri Lanka and for the hospitality extended to them.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath observed that six important places associated with the life of the Buddha are located in his state, while the High Commissioner brought to his attention that, similarly, there are a number of sites in Sri Lanka, which are connected to the Ramayana and Lord Rama. The two dignitaries agreed that there is tremendous potential for Uttar Pradesh and Sri Lanka to cooperate in the cultural and tourism sector, and High Commissioner Moragoda proposed a concrete mechanism for collaboration in this regard. The Chief Minister was in agreement with such a mechanism and instructed his senior officials to work closely with the High Commission to realize this objective.
High Commissioner Moragoda invited Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to visit Sri Lanka, which the latter accepted with pleasure.
Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India with a population of 24 crores.
Earlier in the day, High Commissioner Moragoda and the delegation visited Ayodhya to ceremonially offer a scared stone or Shila from the Sita Amman Temple premises in Sita Eliya towards the construction of the Ram Mandir Temple in Ayodhya, which could be termed as a historical step in the people-to-people contacts between Sri Lanka and India.
Ram Mandir Temple is being constructed in Ayodhya, at the site of Ram Janmabhoomi or the hypothesized birthplace of Lord Rama, a principal deity of Hinduism.
The scared stone, handed over to the High Commissioner by the Board of Trustees of the Sita Amman Temple and brought to India, was ceremonially offered to the Ram Mandir in the presence of the Board of Temple Trustees led by its Secretary General Shri Champath Rai, senior Hindu priests and other state political dignitaries, amidst chanting of Hindu prayers. The sacred stone was accepted by the Chief Priest of the Ram Mandir, Swami Satyendradas from High Commissioner Milinda Moragoda.
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka today (07) presented its flagship publication, the Annual Economic Review for 2024 (AER 2024), to President and Minister of Finance, Anura Kumara Disanayake, highlighting the steady progress of Sri Lanka’s economic recovery following the country’s most severe downturn in recent history.
The report was officially handed over by Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Governor of the Central Bank, during a special ceremony held at the Presidential Secretariat.
AER 2024 comprises four main chapters: Macroeconomic Developments, Conditions of the Financial System, Review of Central Bank’s Policies and Macroeconomic Outlook.
According to the Review, the Sri Lankan economy showed significant signs of recovery in 2024, following the deep economic crisis experienced two years ago. The recovery trajectory, though challenging, has been notably faster than that of many other debt-distressed countries.
Improvements in economic activity, a partial resurgence in purchasing power and reduced uncertainty are among the key positive indicators noted in the report.
The event was attended by Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the President, K. M. Mahinda Siriwardena, Secretary to the Treasury, Mrs. K. M. A. N. Daulagala, Senior Deputy Governor, Dr. C. Amarasekara, Assistant Governor, Dr. (Mrs.) S. Jegajeevan, Director of Economic Research and Dr. L. R. C. Pathberiya and Additional Director of Economic Research at the Central Bank Dr. V. D. Wickramarachchi.
[PMD]
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
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