News
President appoints committee to facilitate and oversee implementation of National Action Plan to mitigate human-elephant conflict
Text and Pictures by PRIYAN DE SILVA
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has appointed a Presidential Committee, headed by former Director General of Wildlife Conservation, Dr. Sumith Pilapitiya, to monitor the progress of the implementation of the National Action Plan for Human-Elephant Conflict Mitigation.
The National Action Plan for Human-Elephant Conflict Mitigation was drawn up by a Presidential Task Force, appointed by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, which was headed by Dr Pruthuviraj Fernando of which Dr. Pilapitiya was a member. After much consultation with all stake holders, including the public, the final action plan was handed over to the then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and no further action was taken until President Wickremesinghe took the initiative to implement it.
The other members of the PC, appointed by President Wickremesinghe to facilitate and oversee implementation of National Action Plan to Mitigate Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC), are Dr. Pruthuviraj Fernando (Chairman Centre of Conservation and Research and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force appointed to draw up the National Action Plan for Human-Elephant Conflict Mitigation), W.M.A.P.B. Wanninayake (Additional Secretary, Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government), H.D. Ratnayake (Additional Director, Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation), Chandrika V. Athugala (Additional Secretary, Ministry of Irrigation), R.M.R. Rathnayaka (District Secretary, Kurunegala), Janaka Jayasundera (District Secretary, Anuradapura), A.H.M.L. Abeyrathne (Commissioner General, Department of Agrarian Development), Chandana Sooriyabandara (Director General Department of Wildlife Conservation),
Dr. K.M.A. Bandara (Conservator General of Forests), Eng. K.D.N. Siriwardena (Director General of Irrigation), Keerthi Kotagama (Director General of Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka), S.A.B. Herath (Director General in the Office of the Chief of Staff, Presidential Secretariat), and Malkanthi Rajapaksa, Senior Assistant Secretary to the President have been appointed as the Secretary to the Committee.
In Sri Lanka over 300 elephants die due to HEC each year while the number of humans that are killed by elephants averages around 100.
It was reported that HEC in Sri Lanka was at its highest in 2019 with 405 elephants and 121 humans losing their lives. The corresponding figures for 2020 was 318 elephants and 112 humans.
According to statistics obtained from the Centre for Conservation and Research (CCR) between the period 2010 to 2019 14,516 incidents of Human Elephant Conflict had been reported. During which time 2631 elephants had been killed by humans and 807 humans had been killed by elephants while another 579 more had been injured. 10,532 incidents of property damage had also been reported.
The High Court has convicted 14 of the 24 men accused of being directly involved in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which killed 279 people.
The three-judge bench read out its decision on Tuesday after a five-year trial and said sentencing would take place later, the AFP news agency reported.
The charges included murder and conspiracy to commit terrorism.
Nine others were acquitted, while another defendant was found guilty of only some of the charges, the court said.
[Aljazeera]
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The ruling NPP yesterday (21) dismissed claims of a widening rift, within the government, over the proposed 22nd Amendment. Asked whether the NPP was concerned over a section of the Opposition alleging Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and two dozen MPs taking a view contrary to that of the party in this regard, authoritative party sources said some persons were propagating speculation for their own interest.
Declaring that there was absolutely no issue regarding the controversial Amendment, sources emphasised once it was tabled in Parliament, it would be passed with 2/3 majority.
Sources dismissed claims that out of its 159-member parliamentary group a section of NPPers was opposed to the government move. According to an influential Opposition activist, there are 57 JVPers and 66 NPPers in the government group and the rest contested the last parliamentary polls, having aligned with the JVP.
Ministerial sources told The Island that the government was confident of going ahead with the 22nd Amendment and Judicature (Amendment) Bills. Sources said that the NPP was not bothered about the Opposition protests in and outside Parliament.
Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne is expected to disclose the confidential ruling that he received from the Supreme Court in respect of more than 65 petitions for and against the 22nd Amendment and Judicial Amendment Bills. The enactment of the 22nd Amendment would pave the way for extending the retirement age of Supreme Court judges, from 65 to 67 years, and Court of Appeal judges, from 63 to 65 years.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Court of Appeal Judge Mayadunna Sri Mevan Anthony Edirimannasuriya Corea as the Acting President of the Court of Appeal.
The appointment has been made as President’s Counsel Nalin Rohantha Abeysuriya, who currently serves as President of the Court of Appeal, will be overseas until the 24th.
Accordingly Justice Mayadunna Corea was sworn in as Acting President of the Court of Appeal before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential secretariat last morning (21).
Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake was also present at the occasion.
High Court convicts 14 over deadly Easter bombings
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India bat first in Asian games womens cricket final
Showers about 100mm will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-western provinces and in Galle and Matara Districts
Govt. confident of 2/3 majority despite NPP split speculation
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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