News
Sarath flays Sarath for ingratitude
SJB Gampaha District MP Field Marshal Sarath told Parliament yesterday that it was he who had got Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera the post of Commandant of the Civil Defence Force, when the latter was without a job.
Participating in the third reading debate on Budget 2021, Field Marshal Fonseka said: “When then Secretary Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa wanted to appoint a commandant to the CDF, I named Sarath Weerasekera. Then Navy commander Karannagoda opposed it. After Weerasekera was appointed the CDF commandant, Karannagoda did not give him a vehicle, driver or escort. So, Weerasekera came in tears to my office. It was I who gave him a vehicle, driver and an escort. I also gave him army officers to run the CDF. Now, he is showing how ungrateful he is after I criticised him for hugging his son in police uniform after assuming duties as the Minister of Public Security.”
Fonseka accused Weerasekera of getting his supporters to carry out a malicious social media campaign against him.
“They have put up photos of the events which took place on the day I was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal. In these, I am being kissed by my wife and daughters. There is a big difference between the two occasions. Neither my daughters nor wife is public servant. However, when Weerasekera was appointed the minister of public security, he hugged a person in uniform below his rank. His son works in the same ministry and that is not proper. Remember the day Yoshitha Rajapaksa passed out as an officer? He did not hug his father, the then President or the Commander in Chief. Yoshitha saluted him. Yoshitha hugged his mother who is not a public servant. If Weerasekera cannot understand that difference then I am not sure how he is going to render duties at this new post.”
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution forwarded by the Minister Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to appoint R. A. Chandana Saman Ranaweera Arachchi a special grade officer of Sri Lanka Administrative Service (SLAS) as the Commissioner
General of Lands.
Approval was granted at the cabinet meeting held on 05-08-2024 to resettle the unauthorized residents in the railway reserve from the Maligawatte Loco junction to Padukka railway station under the Colombo Suburban Railway Project.
Accordingly, resettlements in 694 housing units which were purchased from housing complexes owned by the Urban Development Authority have already been completed and further, 144 housing units are due
to be received from the Urban development Authority. In addition, a housing complex consisting of 120 housing units is being constructed on land in Kottawa, Malapalla area which is owned by the Railway Department for the resettlement of unauthorized residents in Maharagama, Homagama, Padukka area where there are no housing
schemes of the Urban Development Authority, and the constructions of that housing scheme is being completed at present.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport, Highways, Port, and Civil Aviation to transfer the land located in Kottawa, Marapalla, belonging to the Sri Lanka Railway Department, and the housing complex within the said land to the National Housing Development Authority as a free grant in terms of the provisions of Section 6(1) of the Government Land Ordinance and to implement the said program of providing the relevant deeds to the selected beneficiaries in such a way as not to burden them financially.
The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to appoint Dr. Mrs. E. R. S. P. Edirimanne serving as a special grade officer in Sri Lanka Agriculture Service in the post of Additional Secretary (Agri Technology) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation as the Commissioner General of Agriculture,
R A Chandana Saman Ranaweera Arachchi appointed as Commissioner General of Lands
Resettlement of unauthorized residents in Kelaniveli Railway Reserves
Dr. Mrs. E. R. S. P. Edirimanne appointed Commissioner General of Agriculture
-
News7 days agoFSP warns of Indian designs to swamp Sri Lanka
-
News6 days agoLatest tax hike yields Rs. 7 bn profit windfall for tobacco companies
-
Features6 days agoMyth of Free Education: A global perspective for Sri Lanka
-
Midweek Review7 days agoSC gave country timely reprieve from visa scam:
-
Business7 days agoRenowned British publisher calls on govt. to reconsider clamping 18% VAT on books
-
Features3 days agoIS THIS THE FINISH OF THE SRI LANKAN ELEPHANT?
-
Business7 days ago‘Amba Yaalu’ changes face of SL’s hospitality industry with all-women operated hotel
-
Opinion7 days agoSri Lanka’s new govt., Indo-Pacific debt trap, and struggle for the 21st Century – Part 2