News
Udayanga accompanies Ukrainian tour group to Polonnaruwa
Former Sri Lankan ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga and 45 Ukrainian tourists visited a number of Buddhist sites in Polonnaruwa yesterday.
The group was greeted by officers of the Central Cultural Fund, and were taken on a guided tour of the place.
The Army and the police had been deployed to provide security to the Ukrainians. After completing the Polonnaruwa tour, they left for Matale.
The Army, police and CCF officials were in protective gear in view of the pandemic.
Our attempts to contact Sri Lanka Tourism officials to learn whether Weeratunga had informed them of the tour in advance failed.
Hundreds of Ukrainian tourists have arrived in Sri Lanka since late December as part of a pilot project to reopen the country to tourists. Around 10 of them have so far tested positive for COVID-19. They have also visited a number of sites without informing the Tourism officials.
In late December, 2020, the Chairperson of Sri Lanka Tourism, Kimarli Fernando, wrote to the Tourism Minister, stating that it was through the media that she heard that the Ukrainians had visited Yala and had gone whale-watching, in Mirissa.
She said: “The agreement at the Task Force Meeting was for the tour organisers to provide the SLTDA detailed itineraries in advance, including details of the drivers and guides who would be involved in these excursions to be relayed to the regional health authorities for screening and quarantine purposes. The Director General of Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority has tried to obtain the necessary information in this regard from the travel agents to no avail.” (RK)
News
Establishment of an Institutional Framework to Inagurate Upper Hydro Catchment Areas Management Authority
Policy approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 08.06.2026 to establish the Upper Hydro Catchment Areas Management Authority for identification and
execution of a formal and long – lasting remedy to secure the central hills including the upper hydro catchment areas enabling them to sustain amidst extreme weather conditions
due to natural calamities and human activities as well as to be used for the sustainable development of the country.
Accordingly, a concept paper has been prepared including
institutional structure, activities, powers, active subject area as well as administrative and coordination mechanism for the proposed authority by an expert technical committee appointed by the Secretary to the President.
Based on the said concept paper, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the President to instruct the Legal Draftsman to prepare a draft bill including legal provisions required for the establishment of Upper Hydro Catchment Areas Management Authority.
News
Introduction of Flora and Fauna (Regulation of actions of the Indigenous Community within the nominated areas) Regulations
With the objective of securing the traditional livelihood and the eco system of the indigenous community, it has been recognized the necessity of introducing a formal regulation methodology to secure their engagement in livelihood activities by being more sensitive to the existing laws.
Thereby, the Fauna and Flora (regularizing) regulations under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (Authority 469) have been prepared so that nominated activities within the prescribed area to a member of the indigenous community
who has been registered for securing the rights acquired from law or custom or usage or traditional stance to execute an act within a certain state land that is fundamental to the survival of the indigenous community permission can be granted
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Environment to publish the said regulations in the government gazette notification and thereby submit to the Parliament for its concurrence.
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