News
Remains of all coronavirus victims will continue to be cremated as per experts committee – Health Minister
By Saman Indrajith
Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi told Parliament yesterday that the government would continue to cremate the remains of COVID-19 victims according to the recommendations of the experts’ committee headed by Consultant J.M.O Dr. Channa Perera.
The Minister said so in response to a series of queries raised by Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) leader, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, who made a special statement demanded to know the government’s standpoint on the issue of burying or cremating the bodies of COVID-19 victims.
The Health Minister said that the decision to cremate the remains of COVID-19 victims in Sri Lanka would not be withdrawn on religious, political or any other grounds.
MP Ponnambalam: “I raised this question on Dec 10. After that another committee included virologists headed by Prof. Jennifer Perera was appointed on Dec 24. As I’ve heard, that committee has stated that COVID-19 victims could be buried or cremated. It has submitted its report to the Ministry as well. When this committee was appointed, Dr. Channa Perera’s committee had already recommended cremating the bodies. So, which report would the Minister go by?”
Minister Wanniarachchi: “The committee headed by Prof. Jennifer Perera is a subcommittee appointed under the main committee headed by Dr. Channa Perera to look into the matter. The sub-committee handed over its report to State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and Covid Disease Control Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle. That report has been forwarded to the main committee and they are considering the report at the moment. The main committee will announce its final decision after studying the report submitted by the sub-committee.”
Accepting deposits from political parties and independent groups who intend to contest the forthcoming Local Authorities Election ended at 12noon today [19].
Deposits were accepted at respective District Secretariats from 3rd March 2025.
The Elections Commission has announced that the deadline for the accepting of nominations for the LA poll is set to conclude at 12:00 noon tomorrow (20).
It has been reported that the former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon has appeared before the Matara Magistrate’s Court this morning (19),
The former IGP had been evading arrest after the Matara Magistrate’s court had ordered his arrest regarding a shooting incident that took place in front of the W15 Hotel Pelena, Weligama, Matara, in 2023.
The government has begun recovering funds obtained by former Lands and Land Development, Environment and Wildlife Resources Minister SM Chandrasena for the Janatha Lanka Chilli Marketing Limited (JLCML), which he headed, Parliament was informed yesterday.
Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation Minister Namal Karunaratne said that as the Chairman of JLCML, Chandrasena had obtained a loan of Rs. 1,275,000 from the Mihintale Govijana Seva Bank in 2001.
The principal of the loan had not been repaid until the end of last year. “After we came to power, we demanded that the loan be settled. Then, we discovered that the interest on the loan had not been paid for the past 24 years, and attempts had been made to have the loan written off. We stopped that and are now in the process of recovering the interest of Rs. 1,975,233 on the loan,” Karunaratne said.
Karunaratne added that JLCML was registered as a company with the Registrar of Companies on March 21, 2001. As Chairman of the company, Chandrasena requested a loan of Rs. 10 million on April 19, 2001, for the purpose of purchasing chillies from farmers in 12 farmer colonies in the Mihintale Agrarian Service area.
The request was approved by the Mihintale Agrarian Service Committee on the same day and referred to the Anuradhapura District Agrarian Operations Committee, which approved it on April 23, 2001. However, the Agriculture Development Commissioner General recommended that a loan of Rs. 1.2 million would suffice for this purpose. JLCML took the loan and failed to repay it until the end of last year. When the matter was raised, the principal was paid, and we are now in the process of recovering the interest that was not paid for the past 24 years,” Karunaratne added.
By Saman Indrajith
Accepting deposits for Local Authorities Election concludes
At least 12 dead in Honduras plane crash
Putin agrees in Trump call to pause Ukraine energy attacks but no full ceasefire
-
Foreign News4 days agoSearch continues in Dominican Republic for missing student Sudiksha Konanki
-
Features7 days agoRichard de Zoysa at 67
-
Features4 days agoThe Royal-Thomian and its Timeless Charm
-
News5 days agoDPMC unveils brand-new Bajaj three-wheeler
-
Features4 days ago‘Thomia’: Richard Simon’s Masterpiece
-
Sports2 days agoSri Lanka to compete against USA, Jamaica in relay finals
-
Features7 days agoSL Navy helping save kidneys
-
Features6 days agoWomen’s struggles and men’s unions