News
JVP says CMC losing Rs 320 million from new contract for clearing garbage
Mayor denies any wrongdoing
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) had incurred a loss of Rs. 320 million from a contract awarded for collecting and transporting garbage, JVP Municipal Councilor Hemantha Weerakoon said yesterday.
Weerakoon said that garbage collection was done separately in several wards and when renewing the contracts, the CMC had awarded the tender to a company that had quoted a much higher price than previously.
“For example the previous contract to collect garbage in Ward No 4 was Rs. 118 million. The new contract is worth Rs. 197 million. This is an increase of 80 million rupees. The CMC is going to pay Rs. 105 million more to collect garbage in Ward No 3 and Rs.119 million more for collecting garbage in Ward No 2. The price of fuel has not gone up and the wages have not gone up, so why pay more?”
The JVP councilor said that the process of awarding contracts was riddled with malpractices.
In response the Mayor of Colombo, Rosy Senanayake said that the previous contract had been signed in 2017 and that it was not reasonable to expect the contractor to agree to the same amount due to cost factors.
Councillor Weerakoon said that no one would have objected to a reasonable increase, but there had been 100% increases in some cases.
Four newly appointed Supreme Court Justices took their oaths of office before President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (12) at the Presidential Secretariat.
Accordingly, Court of Appeal Justices R.M.S. Rajakaruna, Menaka Wijesundara, Sampath B. Abeykoon, and M.S.K.B. Wijeratne were sworn in as Supreme Court Justices during the ceremony presided over by the President.
Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, was also present at the swearing in.
President Anura Kumara Disanayake has appointed High Court Judge Ranga Dissanayake as the new Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption.
The formal letter of appointment was officially handed over to him by the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, at the Presidential Secretariat .
The Sri Lanka Navy seized two Indian fishing boats and apprehend eight Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, during a special operation conducted in the sea area north of Mannar in the dark hours of 11th January 2025.
The Navy continues to conduct regular patrols and operations in Sri Lankan waters to curb illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing boats, taking into account the impact of those practices on the livelihood of local fishermen.
The seized boats together with Indian fishermen were brought to the island of Iranativu and were to be handed over to the Assistant Directorate of Fisheries, Kilinochchi for onward legal proceedings.
Including this operation, the Navy has held 03 Indian fishing boats and 18 Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters thus far in 2025, and handed them over to authorities for legal action.
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