Sept 23 (Island) The legislative timidity of the govt came home to roost last week with the Supreme Court ruling that the Divineguma Bill had to be submitted to the provincial councils for approval before it becomes law on the grounds that it deals with matters that pertain to the provincial councils. We pointed out in a previous column that the Samurdhi Authority Act No: 30 of 1995 has basically the same functions as the Divineguma Bill and the latter is only a streamlining of the operations of the Samurdhi scheme. more..

Sept 23 (Island) Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka Chairman Harry Jayawardena has expressed regret about the govt’s decision to list Pelwatte Sugar Industries under the Revival of Underperformed Enterprises or Underutilized Asset Act No.43 of 2011 "despite the company having turnaround significantly since DCSL acquired it." "With this re-acquisition by the govt, the synergies we had hoped to leverage more..

Sept 23 (NS) The political bartering seen last week over the Eastern provincial council left many complaining that the will of the people had been ignored in forming the new administration, but it also displayed the political acumen of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his closest advisors. The results of the polls saw the ruling UPFA emerge as the single largest party but it was short of an absolute majority. The TNA was returned second and was also keen to form a provincial govt with the SLMC. more..

Sept 23 (NS) The week was dominated by political maneuvering by various parties and individuals focused on securing the Chief Minister posts of the Sabaragamuwa, North Central and Eastern Provincial Councils. Interest in these moves were overshadowed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s visit to India amid threat of agitation by anti-Sri Lanka politicians in Tamil Nadu. President’s Rajapaksa’s visit to India took place soon after his meeting with China’s top legislator and more..

Sept 23 (Island) The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) is exploring the possibility of initiating contempt charges against state-run Rupavahini, ITN and SLBC for attacking the judiciary. The Bar Council of the BASL appointed a committee comprising several President’s Counsel to examine the matter. Among those named to the panel were Messrs. Romesh de Silva, Ikram Mohamed, Shibly Aziz and Hemantha more..

Sept 23 (ST) My Dear Mervyn, I thought I must write to you to congratulate you because this week, you have championed the cause of justice and fair play like no other has ever done in this country before and freed an innocent young man from being punished for a crime that he never committed. I am referring to young Malaka, of course. My heart bleeds for him. We thought he had got himself into a ‘major’ mess when he was accused of assaulting an Army officer and the media made such a hue and cry of it-and lo and behold, he had been more..

Sept 23 (SL) The recently concluded provincial council elections continue to be a headache for the govt. The govt is expected to resolve the issues related to the provincial councils today with the President’s intervention. The continuous issues over the formation of the North Central and Eastern Provinces have made it impossible for the govt to enjoy its much touted victory at the September 8th elections. Although two weeks have lapsed since the conclusion of the elections to the Provincial Councils, the councils are yet to be more..

Sept 23 (NS) The CCTV camera relating to the alleged assault on the Army intelligence officer involving a group of people including sons of two prominent politicians is in police custody, SP Ajith Rohana said. However, he declined to comment on what was in camera since the matter was pending before court. “Until the identification parade is held on October 1 it is unfair to comment on what is contained in the CCTV camera since the case is before court,” more..

Sept 23 (CI) The sell-out crowd had very little to cheer during a two-and-a-half hour delay, but they were brought to life by a hair-raising take from Dilshan Munaweera to dismiss Richard Levi in the first over. Levi attempted to heave a Nuwan Kulasekara slower ball to the leg side, but only managed a top-edge that flew high over mid-on. Munaweera turned quickly and sprinted back, and though he didn't look like making the ground while the ball was in the air, threw in a perfectly more..

Sept 23 (CI) Another fine all-round effort from Shane Watson steered Australia into the Super Eights as they claimed a Duckworth-Lewis victory over West Indies in Colombo. Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels both scored quick half-centuries to put up a hefty score of 191 but a strong start from Australia, who reached 100 for 1, was enough to ensure they were ahead when the rain started bucketing down in the tenth over of the chase. On a day when more..

Sept 23 (Island) Amidst a continuing top-level bribery probe, shocking details have now emerged on how the Health Ministry’s Medical Supplies Division had sought No Objection Letters from the Cosmetic Devices and Drugs Regulatory Authority on behalf of an unregistered supplier to procure sterile surgical gloves valued at millions of rupees. This supplier had been importing consignments over the past six months more..

Sept 23 (DT) It's Saturday evening and what seems like Colombo's entire population has flooded on to Galle Face Green, the 500m-long seafront promenade. Kites are flying, whole families are having dips in the Indian Ocean and bands of kids are playing cricket, using dustbins for wickets. No, they're not gearing up for the Twenty20 cricket World Cup that takes place mainly in Colombo in late September and early October. They are celebrating the Vesak festival, commemorating more..

Sept 23 (TOI) The Jaffna Chamber of Commerce has appealed to entrepreneurs in the state to start their business ventures in the region, which will provide them development and employment opportunities. The members of Jaffna chamber made their representation to the 48-member Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TNCCI) delegation, which visited Sri Lanka in the first international passenger flight that operated between Madurai and Colombo. more..

Sept 23 (ST) Police officers are to be moved out from stations every year under a new scheme to be implemented from January 1 next year, IGP N.K. Ilangakoon said yesterday. The idea, he said, was to prevent police officers from spending longer periods in one station – a practice that has often led to a variety of complaints. He said the new transfer policy came on a recommendation of the Public Service Commission. more..

Sept 23 (Island) Three Japanese vessels, Kashima, Shimayuki and Matsuyuki with cadet school graduates of Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) on board docked into the Colombo port last week. The three ships were on a goodwill visit in recognition of the close friendship between the two countries. The small fleet with short range defense power is on an officer training program by the Japanese Navy, said Rear Admiral Hidetoshi Fuchinoue, Captain of Kashima. more..

Sept 23 (NS) Sri Lanka Consumer Affairs Authority last Friday sealed a leading chocolate factory because a consumer had unknowingly swallowed a piece of a razor blade that was in a chocolate manufactured by the factory. Ironically, the consumer, a resident in Minuwangoda, is the chief computer operator of the Consumer Affairs Authority. He had purchased the chocolate from a super market and had shared it with his family. A few minutes later, he had suffered from a severe abdominal pain and was hospitalized. more..

Sept 23 (ST) A kastane (ceremonial sword unique to Sri Lanka), two rings, a carnelian gemstone with a miniature carving of a female figure, some currency notes and small grain-like semi-precious stones are among the recovered artefacts that were robbed from the Colombo National Museum on March 16, a museum official said. However around 10 currency notes belonging to the British colonial era, 146 coins, including 96 more..

Sept 23 (SL) A round of talks is scheduled with high-ranking officials of the govt, All Ceylon Sami Association and the Hindu Congress on certain issues that have cropped up with regard to Hinduism. Around 7,000 Samis are expected to arrive in Colombo for the talks and the Sami Association said that they were willing to discuss the issues with any officer appointed by President Rajapaksa. Some of the key issues the Association wishes to discuss are the appointment of a Minister for Hindu Affair; to name a Tamil MP to more..

Sept 23 (SL) Hirunika Premachandra, daughter of presidential advisor Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, is to meet Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva to get a clarification on as to why leave is being approved for MP Duminda Silva to maintain his position as a member of parliament despite the fact that Duminda Silva is supposed to have lost his memory. Hirunika will meet Minister Silva to enquire about how Duminda Silva, who is taking treatment in a Singapore hospital, could be more..

Sept 23 (NS) The Chairman of the SEC, Dr. Nalaka Godahewa said that he had been singled out over allegations of ‘conflict of interest’ following his appointment as SEC Chairman. Pointing out that according to the SEC Act, the Chairman of the SEC should only be a private sector professional, he questioned how one can find that specific private sector professional who had no contacts with the business community and more..

Sept 23 (LB) Wedding bells will ring for the former Eastern Province chief minister and leader of the TMVP, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan before the end of this year, the party spokesperson said. Pillayan, who was appointed as a presidential adviser, is to marry his partner to whom he has been engaged for some time. TMVP spokesperson Azad Moulana said that Pillayan will continue to engage in politics and will not quit under any circumstances as certain newspapers had reported. more..

Sept 23 (ST) The ‘fully equipped’ Fisheries Harbour at Chilaw lies idle. Constructed at a cost of Rs. 200 million and declared open by the then Fisheries Minister in January 2010, the harbour provides no benefit to fishermen in the area. To make matters worse the estuary is blocked by a sand bar which forms during the monsoon season. Equipment to prevent the formation of sand bars of was initially provided, but was subsequently removed. The result: Today around 500 fishing trawlers more..

Sept 23 (Island) The new Chief Minister of the Eastern Provincial Council, Mr.Najeeb. A. Majeed, said yesterday that he hoped to work cordially with the opposition TNA and UNP with the common goal of developing the Eastern Province. He said he looked forward to the appointment of a Tamil and a Sinhalese as ministers of the EPC as it was essential that all communities living in the province held ministerial office in the council. more..

Sept 23 (SL) The SLMC is in crisis over the decision to support the governing UPFA for the administration of the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) . The meeting of the SLMC High Command, the party’s decision making body, had to be adjourned midway due to protests by many members over the decision of the party leadership and a few members to join the govt in the EPC. A member of the SLMC High Command on condition of anonymity said the members had objected to the manner in which the party leadership had reached the decision to more..

Sept 23 (LB) The Divineguma Bill will be challenged again if it is placed on the order paper of parliament without the Northern Provincial Council commenting on it, said TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran, yesterday. If it is placed on the order paper again without the North commenting on it, we will challenge it,” he said. “The requirement is that the Northern Provincial Council, too, must discuss and resolve the matter.” “The governor of the Northern Province cannot substitute himself for the provincial council,” he stressed. more..

Sept 23 (ST) A fact-finding mission from the Office of the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner yesterday left the country after setting the stage for a visit by High Commissioner Navanethem Pillay later this year. The External Affairs Ministry has confirmed that Ms. Pillay would be here later this year. The delegation’s visit which was a follow up to the US-backed resolution at the UNHRC earlier this year would submit its report to Ms. Pillay. more..

Sept 23 (IE) In the presence of Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced his willingness to fund the construction of a temple at a place where Sita is believed to have undertaken Agnipariksha. What he possibly forgot was that he had made the same announcement two years ago. In fact, Chouhan even performed bhoomi poojan at the place on June 26, 2010. Divurumpola (place of oath in Sinhala) features prominently on Ramayana tours in Lanka.) more..

Sept 23 (SO) Barely anybody from Mullaitivu joined last Friday’s protest demonstration staged by the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) led by Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam and other minor political groups in front of the Government Secretariat and the handful who participated in the demonstration were brought from Jaffna and Vavuniya, Security Forces Commander General Leonard Mark said. Residents of Mullaitivu did not express any displeasure or more..

Sept 23 (ST) Compared to the on-going T-20 cricket series, this extravaganza was unmatched. Some Ministers and MPs flew by an Air Force helicopter last week. Their mission? A cricket match with the fast vanishing Veddah tribe, now termed as indigenous people. The helicopter was making its landing approach. Minister Aluthgamage spotted his Cabinet colleague Dilan Perera waiting on the ground with a bunch of betel more..

Sept 23 (SO) The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) will offer short-term skills and social welfare training for prospective Sri Lankan migrant workers with the opening of its first Pre-Orientation Departure Centre at Airport Junction, Katunayake. The centre will be registered as the first skills and social training institute, opened by the SLBFE for the benefit of Sri Lankan workers who leave the country for foreign more..

Sept 23 (SL) The Indian govt is to exert pressure on the TNA to fully commit itself to the political process towards arriving at a viable solution. It is reliably learnt that New Delhi had intimated the necessity towards pushing the TNA towards supporting a viable political solution, during President Rajapaksa’s recent visit to India. Issues such as post conflict reconstruction in the North and the East of Sri Lanka, reconciliation efforts and the acute need for a political solution more..

Sept 23 (SO) The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has focussed attention on the sale of food and beverages at exorbitant prices by certain vendors and stall owners at the Galle Face Green. The Galle Face Green has become the hub for those taking a stroll in the evenings after it was renovated by the Govt under the City Beautification Program. Over 2,000 people including children visit the Galle Face Green on week days and more..

Sept 23 (Island) Sri Lanka has pumped $6 billion or LKR 788 billion into its civil war-ravaged Northern and Eastern Provinces since the bloody ethnic war ended in May 2009, and they are experiencing an "economic renaissance." This was stated by External Affairs Minister Prof Gamini Lakshman Peiris in an hour-long exclusive interview to this correspondent in New Delhi’s Taj Palace Hotel on Thursday, followed by a telephone conversation on Saturday morning before more..

Sept 23 (ST) Two weeks after polls for Provincial Councils, the UPFA, the main winner, is on a political roller coaster ride with both allies and their own ranks. The rough and tumble centres mainly on the appointment of Chief Ministers and what to give or take from alliance partners. The focal point was of course the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC). Last Sunday, President Rajapaksa had some strong words and a tough message for Rauff Hakeem, leader of the SLMC. more..

Sept 23 (ST) Authorized money changers (AMCs) have been given an extended deadline to install Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) systems at their business premises or face the threat of closure. The money changers were initially informed that they should install the CCTV systems by August 31 but the deadline was extended till December 31, 2012 after they wrote to the Exchange Controller saying the decision to keep their place of business under more..

Sept 23 (ST) The Treasury allocated more than Rs. 6 billion in supplementary funds for various Govt institutions in June, of which, nearly a billion rupes went to District Secretariats countrywide to pay allowances for newly recruited graduate teachers. The largest amount in supplementary allocations of over Rs 2,400 million went to the Sri Lanka Army for expenses incurred for the Army Hospital project, acquisition and improvements of buildings, lands and machinery, more..

Sept 23 (AFP) World Twenty20 hosts Sri Lanka are to beef up security after angry fans clashed with baton wielding police in Hambantota where the home side lost a match to South Africa, officials said Sunday. Local residents in the southern port town stormed the ground after they were told that tickets for Saturday's match at the 35,000-capacity Mahinda Rajapakse International Stadium had been sold out, a security official said. "The crowds got very boisterous and they smashed the barricades more..

Sept 23 (ST) Major Chandana Pradeep Susena, who is at the centre of a controversy over an attack allegedly involving Malaka Silva and Rehan Wijeratne, was on a mission to investigate a report about two drug traffickers when the incident occurred, a magisterial inquiry was told on Friday. The Major told the Colombo Fort Magistrate Courts that he was on official duty when the incident occurred at JAIC Hilton in the early hours of September 9. more..

Sept 23 (GN) Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary, also known as Gautam, is India’s cheerleader and he has arrived in time to cheer his team in their crucial matches at the Twenty20 World Cup. Like Pakistan’s well-known followers Chaudhry Abdul Jalil and Mohammad Zaman and Sri Lanka’s Percy Abeysekera, he keeps the fans enthralled, shouting slogans supporting his team. Chaudhary even follows the Indian team during their practice sessions and waves the Indian flag more..

Sept 23 (SL) Several trade unions have called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa to increase salaries of public sector employees by Rs. 13,442.50. Head of the National Trade Union Center (NTUC), K. D. Lalkantha said that a letter had been sent to the President requesting for a salary hike for the public sector workers in the 2013 budget. He said the cost of living under the current administration had increased by Rs. 13,442.50 and that the more..