News
Hizbullah protected Zahran, says ex-IGP
by Rathindra Kuruwita
Former Governor of the Eastern Province M.L.A.M. Hizbullah had protected National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) leader Zahran Hashim, according to information he had received, alleged former IGP Pujith Jayasundara, on Friday, before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Easter Sunday attacks.
Jayasundara said that there had been close links between Zahran and the Kattankudi Police. Thus, after a clash between the NTJ and another organisation called Sunnathul Wala Jamaat at Aliyar Junction in Kattankudy, in March 2017, he had ordered a separate investigation, using officers from out of the area.
A Commissioner asked the witness if there had been political interference with the investigations. The witness said that there had been attempts to do so. When asked if it was possible to name the politicians involved, the witness said he had received information that Hizbullah had tried to influence the investigations.
News
Purchasing of 2025 green gram harvest
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation to provide the required provisions to purchase the green gram harvest in a competitive manner with the private sector by expanding the program initiated by the National Food Promotion Board, on the advice of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation,
Green gram has been cultivated in an area of about 16,500 hectares in the 2025 Yala Season and intermediate season and a harvest of about 14,600 metric tons of green gram is expected. Currently, green gram harvesting has started in the Hambantota district, and it has been reported that middlemen are buying the harvest for a low price of Rs. 450/- per kilogram.
News
Cabinet approves the completion 74 bridges under the Rural Bridge Program
Approval has been granted at the cabinet meeting held on 08-02-2021 to award 326 bridge construction contracts to the State Development and Construction Corporation for the construction of bridges across the island under the Rural Bridges Program.
The construction of a further 23 bridges has been assigned to the Road Development Authority.
It had been decided in the year 2022, to stop the construction of 184 bridges, where construction had not been initiated. The construction of 45 bridges from the 142 remaining bridges have already been completed.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban
Development to recommence the construction of the remaining 74 bridges by the State Development and Construction Corporation and to complete the construction expeditiously.
News
Parliamentary Pension Act No. 1 of 1971 to be repelled
Policy approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 16.06.2025 to repeal the Parliamentary Pension Act No. 1 of 1971 of the State Council.
In keeping with the promise given to all Sri Lankans who supported the vision of ‘A wealthy country – A beautiful life’ which appeared in the policy declaration of the Government, a draft bill has been prepared by the Legal Draftsmen for
repealing the Parliamentary Pension Act with the objective of cancelling pensions rights given to elected members of the Parliament and their spouses.
As the Attorney General has given clearance to the draft bill, the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted to the proposal submitted by the Minister of Justic and National Integration to publish the said draft bill in the government gazette notification and subsequently to be presented to the Parliament for its concurrence.
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