News
Second Ukrainian group arrives in Mattala: Govt. to intensify PCR testing
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Sri Lanka yesterday (29) received the second group of tourists from Ukraine as Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said the health authorities would step up RT-PCR testing to facilitate the arrival of tourists and expatriate Sri Lankans.
Ukrainian national airline flew in 204 men, women and children to Mattala airport yesterday afternoon. The flight crew comprised six. The first group that arrived on Monday (28) consisted of 186 persons. They were moved to hotels in Koggala and Bentota after subjecting them to PCR tests, an official said, adding that they would be tested again after a few days.
Minister Ranatunga summoned a meeting at his ministry to discuss the latest developments. Among those present were representatives of Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Health authories and staff of private hospitals tasked to conduct PCR tests.
The spokesperson quoted Minister Ranatunga as having said that in support of the ongoing government efforts to allow arrivals of both tourists and Sri Lankans the number of PCR tests would have to be increased.
A decision was taken to conduct an additional 3,000 PCR tests each on tourists and Sri Lankans returning home, in addition to about 15,000 tests conducted by the public sector and 2,500 to 3,000 by private hospitals at present.
Meanwhile, Police Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana yesterday said that nearly 10,000 rapid antigen tests had been conducted since Dec 18 to 6 am yesterday (29) at 11 locations targeting especially large numbers leaving the Western Province on account of the festive period. According to DIG Rohana, 61 positive cases had been detected and 315 who were in contact with them, too had been traced.
DIG Rohana said that the rapid antigen tests would be conducted till January 5, 2021 at those 11 locations.
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
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