Category: News

Claiming that enforcing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) is not the policy of the government, Leader of the House, Minister Bimal Ratnayake said today that the PTA needs to be used carefully until a new Act is enacted.

He told Parliament that the government business has to continue until new Acts are enacted.

The Minister said this while respondig to a question by SJB MP Rauff Hakeem that the government is enforcing the PTA where ITAC MP S. Sridharan, who was leaving to Tamil nadu, was disturbed by the Emmigration officials at the VIP lounge of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) saying that there was a travel ban on him.

MP Hakeem said there should be a court order to impose a travel ban and that there was no such court order and added that after explaining them, MP Shridaran was allowed to proceed.

Minister Ratnayake said the Controller General of Immigration and Emmigration has been instructed to look into the matter and submit a report and the Deputy Minister of Defence has also been informed to look into the matter.

He said it is not clear whether this is a misuse of the PTA and added that it has not been not done based on government policy or guidance.

Sri Lanka has agreed to resolve issues on water, land and tax on a planned 3.7 billion US dollar oil refinery by China’s Sinopec in Hambantota, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said.

The new administration discussed with China and agreed to fast track the refinery which has been in the works for several years, he said.

“We said we are ready,” Minister Herath said in a late night talk show on Sri Lanka’s Derana Television Monday.

“There is a water problem. There is a requirement for more land. There is a problem with tax.

“We said we will discuss these and we signed the agreement. Within a month both sides will discuss and give solutions to the three problems and take it forward. We fast-tracked it.”

China had originally put forward the idea for a refinery in 2004, he said.

The National People’s Power still had reservations about fuel distribution being given to foreign companies including Sinopec but there were legal agreements now in place which had to be respected, Minister Herath said.

Sri Lanka expects to grow 40,000 acres of coconut in the North as part of efforts for long term expansion of the crop and also give free fertilizer to small holders Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure Samantha Viddyarathna said.

Sri Lanka’s coconut prices have soared amid import controls and a crop shortfall.

“We have taken steps to grow 40,000 acres of coconut in the Northern coconut triangle,” Minister Viddyarathna told parliament.

“We have asked 1,437 million rupees from the budget for that. This will have results in the long term.”

Some of Sri Lanka’s traditional coconut are located in areas which are fast developing and where the land has higher yielding uses.

Sri Lanka’s then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa banned fertilizer following advice from the Government Medical Officers Association which was followed by a massive currency crises after macro-economists printed money on top of tax cuts to boost growth.

Fertilizer prices soared in the crisis while supplies were also short.

Sri Lanka also 39,883 acres of coconut state plantations but they also have not got fertilizer for the past five years, Minister Viddyarathna said.

“Where there is no fertilizer the crops decline,” he said. “There were also weather impacts.”

Heavy rains tend to drench flowers and reduce pollination, according to some in the coconut sector.

Rains have continued this year.

Sri Lanka has obtained 55,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer from Russia of which 27,500 was reserved for coconut small holders.

“We have decided to give free fertilizer to coconut land owners with less than 5 acres.”

Sri Lanka has a number of export industries including powdered milk, shell charcoal and coir which are also facing higher costs and raw material difficulties due to crop shortfall and import restrictions on raw coconuts.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath states that the government plans to provide vehicles for all 225 Members of Parliament in the near future.

He clarified that MPs will no longer be granted permits to import vehicles.

The minister made these remarks during his appearance on “360°” current affairs programme on TV Derana last night (20).

Explaining the decision, Minister Herath stated, “The government will take steps to ensure all MPs are provided with vehicles, eliminating the need for individual vehicle import permits.”

Thiruvalluvar, the unprecedented Tamil poet and philosopher, still stands tall in world literature. Thiruvalluvar transcended barriers of caste, creed, and time, offering humanity a treasure trove of guidance through his magnum opus, the Thirukkural.

Honouring this great poet-philosopher, the Cultural Centre in Jaffna, built with USD 12 million Indian grant assistance, was named Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre yesterday (18).

High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha and Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Hiniduma Sunil Senevi jointly announced this naming.

Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources Ramalingam Chandrashekhar, Governor of Northern Province Nagalingam Vethanayan, Municipal Commissioner of Jaffna S. Krishnendran, Secretary to the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, R. Atapattu, and Consul General of India in Jaffna Sai Murali, along with other dignitaries and cultural artists from Jaffna, also attended the naming ceremony.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Cultural Centre during his visit to Jaffna in March 2015. The facility was subsequently inaugurated in March 2022 and dedicated to the people of Sri Lanka in February 2023.

Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre in Jaffna is a space where the rich traditions, arts, and aspirations of the people of the Northern Province could thrive.

The iconic structure is a state-of-the-art facility consisting of multiple facilities, such as a two-floor museum, an advanced theatre-style auditorium for more than 600 people, an 11-storeyed learning tower, a public square that could also act as an amphitheatre, etc.

Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha noted that this initiative not only served to pay tribute to the great Thiruvalluvar but was also a celebration of a shared history, a shared culture, and the unique and unbreakable bond between India and Sri Lanka.

“The occasion marked the beginning of a journey guided by the wisdom of Thiruvalluvar, towards a future rich in culture, collaboration, and shared prosperity”, High Commissioner Jha said. He urged the people of Jaffna and the Northern Province to make the centre a living, breathing embodiment of Thiruvalluvar’s teachings.

“The ideal name had been chosen for the Cultural Centre in Jaffna”, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Hiniduma Sunil Senevi added.

“Thiruvalluvar’s teachings remind us that our actions should always be rooted in compassion and righteousness, and that his masterpiece, the Thirukkural, guides us in the pursuit of a just and harmonious society”.

The son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Parliamentarian, Namal Rajapaksa says his father is prepared to vacate the official residence in Colombo, if required.

Speaking to the media today, the MP said, “That house was granted to former presidents under the Constitution. It’s primarily a matter of security. However, if the current President wishes to sell the house and requires former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to vacate, we are ready to comply. This is not a house we requested. It is something provided to a former president according to the law.”

When asked about his response to a possible sudden eviction, Namal Rajapaksa replied, “He will leave at any time. These are government properties, not ours. If the President wants to sell this house to someone, we will vacate without any issue.”

Addressing Mahinda Rajapaksa’s stance on the matter, Namal stated, “He shares the same opinion. Many seem to have forgotten that he is Mahinda Rajapaksa.”

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake revealed yesterday (19) that the official residence of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been valued at a monthly rent of Rs. 4.6 million, emphasizing the need to either regularize its use or vacate it to prioritize national development.