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HC Moragoda visits archeological sites and JSW steel plant in Karnataka
Sri Lankan High Commissioner in New Delhi Milinda Moragoda recently visited the archeological site of Hampi, Karnataka.
The following is the text of a statement issued by the Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi: Hampi lies in a remote valley in a unique landscape of boulder-strewn hills. This and the Tungabadra River which borders it helped protect the city from easy attack. The site covers over 25 sq miles and is strewn with the remains of temples complexes, palaces and other buildings dating from between the 13th – 15th centuries, the most famous of which is the Vittala Temple, a designated UNESCO heritage site. The Vijayanagar period roughly coincides with the Kotte period in Sri Lankan history. The peak of its power was achieved under the reign of its greatest king, Krishnadevaraya (1509-1529) from the Tuluva dynasty. Moragoda also visited the temple complexes of Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal which date to the Chalukyan period (6th-8th century). Pattadakal is also a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
During the trip, Moragoda took the opportunity to visit the Jindal Steel Works (JSW) and township located in nearby Vijayanagar. JSW is one of the largest steel plants in the world and is the flagship company of the JSW Group which has an annual turnover of USD 22 billion. The company carries out numerous programmes focused on empowering local communities in the area and has worked to support the conservation and preservation of Hampi. Their Kaladham museum gives visitors an excellent overview and understanding of the history and architecture of the medieval city through interactive 3D exhibits and photos. Hampi will be one of the venues of the G20 meetings in 2023.
The Pakistan Naval Ship (PNS) Shahjahan which arrived in Colombo on 02nd June 2023 on a two-day official visit, departed the island on 04th June 2023.
By Priyan de Silva
The Election Commission (ECSL) has opposed a move by the government to appoint representatives of the Chairpersons of the Regional Development Committee to monitor local government institutions.
ECSL Chairman Nimal G. Punchihewa told The Island that the government had informed the ECSL of its plan to appoint representatives of the Chairpersons of the Regional Development Committee to monitor the local government bodies and the ECSL had decided to write to the Ministry of Local Government opposing the move, he said. A Chairman of a regional development committee ESD a representative of a particular political party and it would be unfair by other parties for such appointments to be made, the EC Chairman said.
Punchihewa said that the administration of local government institutions could be done through Municipal Commissioners and Divisional Secretaries.Many political parties had complained against the government move, he said.
By Saman Indrajith
The JVP would file a fresh application before the Supreme Court against the government for not holding the local council polls, JVP MP Vijitha Herath said yesterday.Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, Herath said that his party had ascertained fresh information by invoking the Right to Information Act about the funds needed for the holding of the elections and his party would file another fundamental rights case against those responsible for conducting elections.
“The LG polls were to be held on 09 March. They were postponed until 25 April, and later they were put off indefinitely. The President appoints Governors to the provinces and the local councils are under them. Now, he says no party commands the support of 50 percent of voters.
Is this reason why he is not holding elections? His claim that there are no funds for elections is not acceptable. The Election Commission (EC) has, in a letter to the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, asked for Rs 1,100 million in installments for conducting local government elections. The Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, on 07 March, informed
the EC that the latter’s request had been referred to the Minister of Finance on the same day. But so far the money has not been released. As per a report released by the Treasury, the government revenue was Rs 177,900 million in January this year alone. Of that amount, Rs 156,760 was allocated to government institutions. The Treasury has Rs 21,410 million. In February, the government revenue was at Rs. 271,750 million and of that Rs. 208,620 million was spent. The balance was Rs 63,130 million. In January and February, the Treasury had Rs 84,270 million. These figures have been officially confirmed by a Deputy Treasury Secretary. The EC is seeking only Rs 2,460 million for elections. So, the claim that there is no money for elections is false as per official records. We will submit this information to the Supreme Court when we file a fresh application. We will prove that the government has lied to people,” Herath said.
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