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UNP Chairman blames govt. on mushrooming protests

Published

4 years ago

2021/08/3

By Piyasena Dissanayake

There were many protests in the country because the government had used force to disperse a demonstration by teachers near Parliament, the UNP said yesterday.

UNP Chairman and former minister Wajira Abeywardena, addressing the media at the party office in Elpitiya said: “There was a small protest near the Parliament roundabout against the Kotelawala Defence University Bill. It was attended by only a handful of people. The government used the police break it up and the protestors were treated inhumanely. After seeing how the protesters had been hauled into buses to be dispatched to quarantine centres, people became enraged. It is only natural to witness numbers attending the protests thereafter would increase dramatically. Now, there are protests all over the country by teachers and other unionists as well as university students. This is due to the government mishandling a small protest.”

Abeywardena said that the teachers had genuine problems and issues in their profession. “Their salary anomaly issue has not been solved for 24 years. When the schools were shut down the teachers spent out of their pocket to conduct online classes for their students. Such dedication should have been appreciated by adding an allowance to their salaries. We as the UNP proposed that to the government but it did not appreciate the teachers’ service. Instead, some ministers used the derogatory term ‘kaalakanni’ to describe teachers. Now, they are staging rallies demanding the very same and solutions to other problems in their profession,” the former minister said.

He said that the situation would take a turn for the worse if the government further delayed talking to teacher unionists.

The UNP Chairman said that the Kotelawala Defence University had been there for 30 years. Changes in curriculum and administrative processes should be changed with the time without causing problems. Those who graduated from that university fought in the war and contributed an excellent service in the battle against terrorism. There are similar institutes the world over. The government should be able to explain to the people its objective in introducing changes without letting others misinterpret facts for political reasons. It should discuss this matter with all stakeholders rather than suppressing democratic dissent. There is no alternative to negotiations with protesters.

Opposition Leader of the Galle Municipal Council Dilith Nishantha also addressed the press.

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INS Sahyadri sets sail from Colombo

Published

5 hours ago

2025/04/7

Priyan

The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.

During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.

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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district

Published

10 hours ago

2025/04/7

Priyan

Color: -Red Warning (Take action) Color: -Amber Advisory (Be prepared) Color: -Green Threat is over

The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.

The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025

The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.

ACTION REQUIRED:

The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:

Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.

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“Census of Population and Housing 2024” Report Presented to the President

Published

11 hours ago

2025/04/7

Priyan

The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.

This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.

The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.

The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.

The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.