News

Post-Ditwah relief programme politicised by JVP: Kiriella

Published

2 weeks ago

2026/01/23

MP Kiriella

Many families affected by cyclone Ditwah in the Kandy District had yet to receive promised compensation, due to a partisan approach adopted by NPP/JVP activists involved in the distribution process, Kandy District SJB MP Chamindranee Kiriella told Parliament yesterday.

“The government promised an allowance of Rs. 25,000 to each affected family for clearing debris and cleaning houses affected by the cyclone and subsequent disasters,” Kiriella said. “In Kandy District, 38,889 families were affected, but more than 20,000 families have still not received this allowance. That means around 65% of affected families are yet to receive compensation.”

Kiriella further stated that the government had also pledged a Rs. 50,000 allowance to help families purchase materials to repair and begin reconstruction of damaged houses.

“In Kandy District, about 20,000 houses were either fully or partially damaged, but only about 7,000 families have received the Rs. 50,000 allowance so far,” she said.

“If the Treasury is overflowing as claimed, then these payments have not been delayed due to lack of funds, but because NPP/JVP cadres at district level have failed to recommend payments for many victims,” she alleged.

Kiriella claimed there was evidence that NPP/JVP activists were involved in distributing compensation application forms in the Udunuwara and Watadeniya divisions and ensured that their supporters received payments.

“As a result, many affected families have been left out,” she said, highlighting what she described as ongoing uncertainty faced by victims regarding housing reconstruction. The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) reports had not yet been released for several affected areas, she said.

“Families do not know whether they can rebuild their houses on the same land. The government must expedite the release of NBRO reports to address the grievances of cyclone-affected people,” she said.

Responding to objections from government MPs who questioned the accuracy of her figures, Kiriella said they had been obtained from local government authorities.

“My inquiries revealed that no funds have been released to local government bodies since December 31, 2025. Therefore, the figures I presented reflect the situation up to that date,” she said.

by Saman Indrajith ✍️

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News

SAARC journalists meet in New Delhi

Published

10 hours ago

2026/02/6

Priyan

President of SJF Sri Lanka Chapter Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi hands over a memento to Dr Alok Kumar Mishra Joint Secretary of the Association of Indian Universities

Members of the South Asian Journalists Forum have gathered at the University of New Delhi for a two day conference themed ‘Peace and Co-operation’.

Journalists from Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and India are attending the conference hosted by the University of Delhi in collaboration with the India Chapter of SJF, and will deliberate on how the media can act as a catalyst for regional stability and mutual coexsistence.

A tree plantation campaign was also held at the Ghandi Bhawan premises of the University to mark the event and symbolize growing regional ties.

The Sri Lanka delegation is led by President of SJF’s Sri Lanka Chapter Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi.

News

Governor of Gujarat met with Sri Lanka PM to discuss exposition of Devnimori Relics

Published

12 hours ago

2026/02/6

Priyan

The Governor of the of Gujarat, Acharya Devvrat, along with the Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat, Harsh Sanghvi, met with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya on Thursdy [February 05] at the Parliamentary Complex to discuss the arrangements related to the exposition of the Devnimori Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha, which have been brought to Sri Lanka under the patronage of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Government of India.

These sacred relics of Lord Buddha were discovered during archaeological excavations conducted in the 1960s at the historic Devnimori site in Gujarat, the home state of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Until now, these relics had never been taken outside India. As a result of discussions held between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to Sri Lanka, the people of Sri Lanka have been granted this rare opportunity to venerate these sacred relics.

The exposition of the relics is being held for a period of seven days, from February 05 to February 11, at the Gangaramaya Temple in Hunupitiya, Colombo. Discussions were held between both parties regarding the arrangements related to this event.

The discussion was attended by Samar Nanda, Joint Secretary of the Indian Ministry of Culture; Dr. Satyanjal Pandey, Acting High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka; Abhijit Halder, Director General of the International Buddhist Confederation; along with several others.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

News

INS GHARIAL makes port call in Colombo

Published

19 hours ago

2026/02/6

Priyan

The Indian Naval Ship (INS) GHARIAL made a port call in Colombo for operational turnarounds on 04 Feb 26. The Sri Lanka Navy welcomed the visiting ship in compliance with naval traditions.

Commanded by Commander Gaurav Tewari, INS GHARIAL is a vessel with a length of 124.8 meters.

During this visit, ten (10) Bailey Bridges, brought by ship, through the coordination of the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka, will be handed over to the Disaster Management Center. These bridges will provide temporary transportation links while bridges damaged across the island by adverse weather conditions are repaired.

The crew’s itinerary features scheduled goodwill activities with the Sri Lanka Navy, alongside visits to several tourist attractions across the island.