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Minister Amaraweera ready to resign if allegation of shipping local sand to the Maldives is proved

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By Ifham Nizam

Minister Mahinda Amaraweera yesterday said he would resign if it was proved that a Minister of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party was involved in a racket where sand was shipped from Sri Lanka to the Maldives.

Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK), Batticaloa District/National List MP Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam said in Parliament on Tuesday that a Minister of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party was involved in shipping sand to the Maldives.

Addressing a media briefing yesterday, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that as a Senior Vice President of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party as well as a Minister, he believed that the resources of the country must not be plundered.

Minister Amaraweera said the Maldives had taken delivery of six and a half cubes of sand recently to be used for water filtering in that country. “I asked GSMB and they said it had been sent by a company in our country and all taxes had been collected by the government. But the sand was not for any construction purpose in the Maldives.”

He said there were politicians involved in sand, soil and granite smuggling. “I know that these politicians are also following these racketeers. Mr. Rasamanickam, MP always seeks publicity. If he has any information about a sand racket, he should submit it to use for action.

Minister Amaraweera also said that mineral resources here were exported by a government-owned company. “It is a government company. The income from it goes to our Treasury. The GSMB said no licence had been issued for sand exports. “Therefore, I responsibly say that there has been no such racket.



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Stalin urges Modi to secure release of Indian fishermen from Lankan custody

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After 12 fishermen from Tamil Nadu were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy on Thursday, Chief Minister M. K. Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting the latter to secure the release of all fishermen numbering 28 and their fishing boats from Sri Lankan custody, according to a news report published by The Hindu on Friday.

Stalin has, in his letter, said it is disheartening to note that the fishermen are facing harassment at the hands of the Sri Lankan Navy frequently. “The arrests continue despite several letters of protest by the Tamil Nadu government highlighting the escalation in the arrests of fishermen.”

The arrests and violent attacks on Indian fishermen took place unabated despite the diplomatic initiatives from the Government of India, Stalin has contended. The repeated attempts by the Sri Lankan Navy in the Palk Bay must be permanently ended through concerted efforts by the Government of India, he said.

“I consider that a concrete and time-bound plan may be drawn up in this regard urgently. The continuing incidents of incarceration of the fishermen and their boats have created a deep sense of despondency among the fishermen community as fishing is their only means of livelihood,” Stalin said.

As on March 23, 104 fishing boats from Tamil Nadu were in the custody of Sri Lanka and five fishing boats that were released by Sri Lanka were yet to be repatriated to India. A total of 16 Indian fishermen were in Sri Lankan prisons.

Under these circumstances, he sought the PM’s personal intervention and direct the authorities concerned to take effective steps to secure the release of all the 28 fishermen and their fishing boats that have been apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy.

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Sinhala translation of Quran presented to Bharain Ambassador

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High Commissioner Moragoda presenting a copy of Sinhala Quran to Bahrain Ambassador

Continuing his efforts to promote dialogue with Heads of Mission of Islamic countries concurrently accredited to Sri Lanka from New Delhi, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India Milinda Moragoda Tuesday presented a copy of the Sinhala translation of the Holy Quran to the Ambassador of Bahrain to India Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed AlGaoud on Tuesday, the Colombo foreign office said.In February Moragoda had presented copies of the Quran to the Ambassador of Morocco in India.

This Sinhala translation published by the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) of Sri Lanka, was presented to the Bahraini Ambassador at the Embassy of Bahrain in New Delhi.

Previously, the High Commission had presented copies of the Sinhala Quran to the Jama Masjid of Delhi and the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (Council of Muslim Theologians of India).

In keeping with the “Integrated Country Strategy for Sri Lanka Diplomatic Missions in India”, the policy roadmap of High Commissioner Moragoda, the High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi has been promoting dialogue with all major religions in India.

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Jaffna Diocese denies arrest of priest on rape allegation

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Apropos Priest arrested over rape allegation published on page 3 of The Island, March 22, 2023 edition, Father P. Josephdas Jebaratnam, Vicar General, Diocese of Jaffna, has informed us that the Catholic Church inquired about the report and received assurance from relevant authorities that such arrest was not made. The Vicar General said that there was no basis for the claim that the Special Task Force arrested the priest hiding in a farm in Nagarkovil, Jaffna.

News Editor: The error is regretted.

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