News
MP Pathirana reveals ruse resorted to by unscrupulous businessmen to grab forest lands
By Saman Indrajith
Matara District SJB MP Buddhika Pathirana told parliament yesterday that unscrupulous businessmen had found a way to dupe officials by clearing patches in the middle of the jungle to plant tea and wait for a couple of years to clear the surrounding areas in the jungle.
“When the officials commence investigations, they claim their tea plantations have been there for a long time,” MP Pathirana said, asking government to probe such incidents and take action to protect the forest cover.
Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera said that he would look into the matter and admitted that continuous increase of population and some human activities had resulted in the shrinking of forest cover in the country.
Asked whether he would admit that the North Central Province had already been reduced to semi-arid area, the Minister said that not only the NCP but many other provinces in the dry zone of the country had suffered from a long-drawn out drought between 2015 and 2018, but the NCP had not become a semi-arid are.
Minister Amaraweera said some regions in the country were affected by natural disasters such as floods, drought, landslides etc., all the time due to ill-effects of climate change.
Asked whether steps would be taken to develop national policies for environment conservation, Minister Amaraweera said that there were already many national policies in that regard as follows: National Environment Policy (2003), National Policy on Wetlands and the Conservation Strategies (2006), National Air Quality Management Policy (2000), National Climate Change Policy (2012), National Policy on Wildlife Conservation (1990), National Policy on Invasive Alien Species (2016), National Forestry Policy (1995), National Policy on Solid Waste Management (2007), National Waste Management Policy (2018), National Policy on Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Mangrove Ecosystems 2019, National Policy and Strategy for Cleaner Production 2005, National Policy on Biosafety (2011) and National Policy on Sustainable Consumption & Production (2019).
MP Pathirana said that former President Maithripala Sirisena soon before his leaving the office had signed a gazette to expand the Sinharaja forest by three times its present size, but the government had taken one year to publish it. “Subsequent, to this I saw a Facebook post by former President Sirisena that he signed 55 more such gazettes but they had not been published yet. When will those gazettes come out? Why is the government delaying them if the government is so concerned about the environment?”
Minister Amaraweera said that those gazettes would be printed in due course.
Power sector workers shouldn’t be granted year-end bonuses
Leader of the Eksath Janaraja Peramuna (EJP) and former Power Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said that CEB workers shouldn’t be granted year end/Christmas bonuses as they had not contributed to the much favourable current financial status of that state-owned enterprise.
Ex-parliamentarian Ranawaka said that the CEB had earned massive profits solely by implementing extremely unfair tariff structure, therefore workers shouldn’t be paid bonuses.
The former Minister was addressing the media at the EJP Colombo office. Referring to official records, the EJP leader said that the CEB had earned a profit of Rs. 6161 mn in 2023 and also saved Rs. 36 bn. So far this year (January to November), the CEB had recorded Rs. 263 bn profit but the government continued to fleece consumers.
Ranawaka also questioned the failure on the part of the government to provide electricity consumers relief as decided by the Cabinet during the previous government that there would be quarterly revision of pricing formula.
Ranawaka said that the government should explain why it couldn’t decrease fuel prices by a significant amount. The NPP administration should at least admit that it couldn’t do away with the current unbearable tax regime. The ex-parliamentarian asked the NPP to acknowledge that the government feared collapse in case of abolition of heavy taxes on fuel.
The ex-Minister challenged the NPP to prove accusations that had been directed at ministers of previous governments without propagating allegations. According to Ranawaka, both diesel and petrol prices remained high as the government levied Rs 50 and 72 on diesel and petrol, respectively, in addition to 18% VAT (Value Added Tax).
Ranawaka pointed out that in addition to Ceypetco, IOC and Sinopec had been levying taxes heavily with diesel (Rs 88-94) and petrol (Rs 110-117) imports per litre (SF)
A person who had been apprehended by protesting Development Officers during a noisy demonstration outside the Education Ministry at Isurupaya and handed over to police was subsequently identified as a member of the Military Intelligence.
Police said that those demanding they be made permanent in the teaching service alleged that the apprehended man allegedly caused injuries to policemen deployed at the scene.
A Sub-Inspector of Police (SI) and two constables were injured. (HR)
Muhammathu Saali Naleem was sworn in as a member of the Tenth Parliament yesterday before Speaker Dr. Asoka Ranwala.
Following the oath taking, Naleem signed the Members’ Roll in the presence of Secretary General of Parliament, Kushani Rohanadeera, marking his formal induction into the legislative body. Naleem was appointed as a National List Member of Parliament, representing the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC).
The inaugural session of the Tenth Parliament took place on November 21st, 2024, with members taking their oaths the following day. On November 22nd, the Election Commission issued a gazette notification confirming Naleem’s appointment to the National List of the SLMC, paving the way for his oath-taking ceremony yesterday.
Before entering Parliament, Naleem served as the Chairman of the Eravur Urban Council, bringing valuable local governance experience to his new role as a lawmaker.
Jaker, Taijul and Rana script Bangladesh’s first win in West Indies since 2009
Afghan women ‘banned from midwife courses’ in latest blow to rights
South Korea president backs down from martial law order after MPs vote to block it
-
News6 days agoDialog Smart Home Celebrates Continued Partnership as Gold Sponsor for Kadella 2024
-
Editorial4 days agoGreed for diplomatic appointments
-
Business7 days agoCurrent deflation situation would not adversely impact economy – CBSL Governor
-
News7 days agoFirst-ever floating solar photovoltaic power plants operational
-
News3 days agoAKD gladdens Ranil’s heart
-
Business3 days agoCentral Bank aware of upside and downside risks to its inflation projections
-
News6 days agoEx-Northern Governor: Deployments prerogative of armed forces
-
Editorial7 days agoShadow education in spotlight