News

Lanka saves scarce gas for cremations

Published

4 years ago

2022/06/19

by Amal JAYASINGHE

Bankrupt Sri Lanka will reserve a portion of its scarce fuel supplies for the cremation of Buddhists, whose funeral rites have been disrupted during a dire economic crisis.

The island nation’s 22 million people have faced months of food, petrol and medicine shortages after traders ran out of money to import essentials.

Local media reported that several cemeteries outside the capital Colombo had cancelled cremation services after running out of liquefied petroleum gas, instead offering burials to bereaved families.

A gas shipment that arrived in port on Tuesday will be allocated to cemeteries and other priority industries, including Sri Lanka’s flagging tourism sector.

“We will supply bulk users — that is hotels, hospitals and crematoriums,” Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Tuesday, adding that another shipment was expected in two weeks to supply households.

Most of Sri Lanka’s people are Buddhist, whose adherents are traditionally cremated, while its minority Christians and Muslims opt for burials.

Last year, the government was criticised for suspending burials and forcing Muslim mourners to cremate their loved ones under Covid-19 pandemic rules.

Sri Lanka is weathering rampant inflation and the cost of dying has risen sharply.

A one-day funeral service that cost 380,000 rupees ($1,900) in December is now more than double, excluding crematorium charges.

Unrelenting fuel shortages have severely impacted power generation and transport since the end of last year, with regular blackouts across the island and long queues of motorists outside filling stations.

Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka would only be able to meet 50 percent of its usual fuel demand over the next four months, and the government is unveiling a rationing system in July.

The prime minister added that an IMF delegation was expected to visit the country on Monday to continue talks on Sri Lanka’s request for an urgent bailout.

Sri Lanka announced a default on its $51 billion foreign debt in April and the government says it needs $6 billion to keep the economy afloat. (AFP)

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Cabinet nod to accept Japanese government grant of 08 used low floorboard buses

Published

2 hours ago

2026/03/4

Priyan

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development to accept 08 used low floorboard buses offered as a grant by the Government of Japan.

News

Payment of the financial subsidy for fertilizer to farmers cultivating paddy lands for the Yala season 2026.

Published

2 hours ago

2026/03/4

Priyan

While approval has been granted at the Cabinet meeting held on 18.08.2025 to pay the financial subsidy for fertilizer to farmers cultivating paddy lands for the Maha season 2025/26, the programme is planned to be continued for the Yala season 2026 as well.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to pay a financial subsidy of Rupees 25,000/- per hectare and for a maximum of 02 hectares per farmer for paddy cultivation and to pay Rupees 15,000/- per hectare for field crops cultivated in paddy lands[maximum of 02 hectares per farmer]

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Ministerial Committee appointed to submit recommendations on proposed program to mitigate loss of crops to wild animals

Published

2 hours ago

2026/03/4

Priyan

The rural agricultural livelihood and food security have been severely impacted due to the damage caused by wild animals such as elephants, wild boars, monkeys, toque macaque, squirrels, and peacocks roaming around human habitats and cultivated lands.

Animal-human conflicts and property destruction have mostly been reported around these areas, and serious social and economic issues have also arisen.

Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation has prepared a comprehensive program based on the opinions of all stakeholders, including the public, university community, farmers’ organizations, environmentalists, non-governmental organizations which work for environmental issues, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agrarian Development, and other relevant organizations.

Taking into consideration the report submitted by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation, the Cabinet of Ministers has decided to appoint a ministerial committee with the participation of other relevant ministers, chaired by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation, to submit appropriate recommendations on how the aforementioned program should be implemented by further reviewing the proposals included in the said program and incorporating new proposals.