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Media Minister under fire for holding tree planting ceremony in school affected by COVID-19

Published

2 years ago

2021/02/13

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella had endangered the health of a large number of students by holding a tree planting ceremony at Kengalla Maha Vidyalaya, Kandy, where a number of students and teachers had tested positive for the coronavirus, General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) Joseph Stalin said.

Stalin said that despite the detection of COVID-19 patients, the Minister had organised the ceremony and that 150 guests had attended it. The school band was used at the event where physical distancing was non-existent, he said.

“There is a circular issued by the Ministry of Health advising principals not to hold ceremonies at schools due to the pandemic. We lodged a complaint with the Education Director of the Central Province Thilak Ekanayake on Thursday (11), but the event went ahead as planned on Friday. This shows how servile regional education officials are.”

Ekanayake on Thursday said the ceremony was not an educational one and that he had little knowledge of what would transpire. Stalin said that while the ceremony might not be educational technically, the Minister was using a school band, students and the school premises.

“When we asked the relevant Zonal Education Director, she said that the event had been organised by a group called Mahanuwara Api and that neither the school nor the Zonal Education is responsible for the organization of the event. If so, allowing an outside party to use a school premises and students for a ceremony was an even more serious issue.”

Stalin said that the pandemic had created a serious crisis in education and that a large number of students and teachers were contracting the virus. It was the responsibility of the government and education administrators to do their best to protect the children, he added.

“Some time ago, MP Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan also held a similar event in the East and when we objected the government said it would not happen again. But this time around, a Minister has done the same. This is an indication of how much they care about the safety of children.”

Repeated attempts to contact Minister Rambukwella were unsuccessful.

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SJB, JVP move SC against Finance Secy. for contempt of court

Published

4 hours ago

2023/03/22

Sahan Weerasooriya

The main Opposition, Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB), and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) yesterday (21) moved Supreme Court against Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana over his failure to provide funds required by the Election Commission to conduct the Local Government polls, ignoring an interim order issued by the apex court, on 03 March.

Ranjith Madduma Bandara, MP, is the petitioner for the SJB and Vijitha Herath, MP, moved court on behalf of the JVP, the leading party in the Jathika Jana Balawegaya (JJB).

Two Opposition parties declared action against Siriwardana the day after the Freedom People’s Alliance (FPA) issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Finance Secretary to release the funds.

EC Chairman Nimal Punchihewa is on record as having said that in spite of SC directive he didn’t receive fresh funding.

The petitioners sought the issuance of summons on Siriwardana for contempt of court over failure to carry out its interim orders, given on 03 March.

The petitioners want the Finance Secretary punished in terms of Article 105 (3) of the Constitution.

The SJB stated that Siriwardana had refrained from carrying out the March directives, on the basis of a Cabinet decision, taken on 13 Feb., 2023. The SJB also pointed out that the offensive conduct of the Treasury Secretary, inter alia, causes grave prejudice to the esteemed authority of the Supreme Court and in turn disturb the public confidence in the authority of the highest Court in the country. (SF)

News

Minister indicates reduction in fuel prices in April

Published

4 hours ago

2023/03/22

Sahan Weerasooriya

Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara told Parliament yesterday that fuel prices would be reduced considerably according to the fuel price formula at the next fuel price revision, due in April.

The Minister said that the government would be able to procure fuel shipments, at lower prices, during competitive bidding, with the receipt of the IMF bailout.

There had been practical issues, and problems, in opening Letters of Credit, and obtaining credit facilities, in the recent past, as Sri Lanka could not give a guarantee to fuel suppliers, Minister Wijesekara said.

“We could not open LCs and obtain credit facilities when procuring fuel. After the IMF bailout, we will be able to procure fuel at lower prices during competitive biddings. We will be able to obtain a long-term credit facility as well. Fuel prices in the global market seem to have declined and the rupee has also gained strength against the US Dollar. Having considered all these factors, fuel prices will be reduced by a considerable margin which could be felt by the people,” he said.

News

IGP tells CID not to brook any interference from any quarter while they probe ’Harak Kata’ and ‘Kudu Salindu’

Published

4 hours ago

2023/03/22

Sahan Weerasooriya

By Norman Palihawadane

IGP CD Wickramaratne has directed the CID to maintain a special log of names and details of any attempts by external parties to influene the ongoing investigations on notorious drug traffickers Nandun Chinthaka Wickramaratne aka Harak Kata and Salindu Malshika aka Kudu Salindu.

The suspects are currently under the custody of the CID.

The IGP issued the orders to the DIG CID and its director during a meeting of senior police officers on Monday, police headquarters said.

Sources said that the IGP has further instructed not to allow statements from the detainees to be taken by any police team other than the team currently investigating the suspects.