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An exhibition of drawings by
children receiving treatment for
leukemia and cancer at the Cancer
Hospital in Maharagama was declared
open yesterday. Picture shows
several children being treated at
the hospital looking at some of
their creations Photo by
Thushara Dasanayaka |
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Govt. to spend over Rs 2.5 billion on
SAARC Summit
The government is planning on spending in
excess of Rs 2.5 billion for the South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation Summit
to be held in August, The Sunday Leader
learns.
The SAARC summit is to be held in Kandy
from August 2nd to 3rd and invitations have
already gone out to the heads of state of
India, Pakistan, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh
and Bhutan.
It is learned heavy investment is to be
made on a fleet of vehicles, security
equipment and other facilities with the
police alone budgeting their requirements at
over a billion rupees.
A top-level meeting of the police
logistics department under DIG Jayantha
Paranathala was held earlier in the week
where tentative budget estimates were made
on the basis of their requirements.
It is learned a separate allocation is to
be made for the Presidential Security
Division and the Special Task Force for
security arrangements totaling Rs. 539
million.
The SAARC organising committee is chaired
by Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and
he is personally supervising all
arrangements, informed sources said.
Meanwhile, Minister Bogollagama, Deputy
Minister Hussein Bhaila, Governor of the
Central Province Tikiri Kobbekaduwa and the
Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake on Friday
toured the Kandy District to identify
suitable venues and the necessary
infrastructure development to host the
summit.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman said no
budget estimates have yet been finalised and
that they were still in the process of
identifying suitable venues and the
infrastructure development needed to make
the summit a success.
Meanwhile The Sunday Leader learns
India is most likely to be represented at
the summit by President Pratiba Patel. It is
learned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will
be tied up with the budget and possible
elections end July or early August.
OPA hints at
impeachment possibility
The Organisation of Professional
Associations of Sri Lanka (OPA) has
dispatched a strongly worded letter to
President Mahinda Rajapakse on Friday (29)
hinting at the possibility of impeaching the
Chief Executive for the non-appointment of
the Constitutional Council.
OPA President, Elmore M. Perera wrote to
President Mahinda Rajapakse on Friday (29)
where the letter clearly stated that there
was no reason to not appoint the
Constitutional Council (CC) which may
tantamount to a willful violation of the
constitution and such violations by the
Chief Executive attracted ‘certain
sanctions,’ a clear reference to the
possibility of impeachment.
The OPA letter urged President Mahinda
Rajapakse to activate the CC adding that the
Chief Executive’s procrastination without
making the mandatory appointments necessary
to activate the CC is ‘surprising,
inexplicable and unacceptable.’
The letter sets out the backdrop created
by the 1978 Constitution that empowered the
executive president to make appointments to
virtually any post in state organisations at
his/her discretion, a power abused by all
incumbent presidents.
It adds that by 2001, this had reached
such alarming proportions that the
constitution was unanimously amended with
the express approval of all political
parties agreeing specifically to curtail
this discretion vested in the president, and
to vest same in a "Constitutional Council"
established to exercise such powers.
The OPA President has observed that as a
result, the incumbent president when elected
on November 17, 2005, was only vested with
these ‘significantly reduced powers.’
The letter stresses that the it should be
understood that the 17th Amendment by now
was an integral part of our Constitution
since October 3, 2001, and that the Select
Committee, appointed on July 18, 2006, is to
report on proposed amendments to the
Constitution which amendments will require a
2/3rd majority in Parliament and perhaps a
referendum, to vest in the President the
powers that were deliberately removed
unanimously by Parliament in 2001, by the
17th Amendment.
The OPA in the letter has acknowledged
several practical problems that needed to be
rectified that led to patently flawed
appointments being made and also the actions
of such appointees.
Elmore Perera further states: " Your
Excellency is, no doubt, well aware that any
further delay in activating the
Constitutional Council will be tantamount to
"an intentional violation of the
Constitution, "which violation attracts
certain sanctions provided for in the
Constitution." The OPA also urged the
president to uphold the Constitution by
making the necessary appointments, without
any further delay, and to activate the
Constitutional Council. The letter was also
copied to Speaker W. J. M. Lokubandara,
Prime Minister, Ratnasiri Wickremanayake,
Opposition Leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe,
Constitutional Affairs Minister, D. E. W.
Gunasekera and all political party leaders.
Lanka facing total
collapse of rule of law
Sri Lanka
is now facing a total collapse of the rule
of law with the increase in abductions,
killings and cases of torture in police
stations, Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC)
in its submission to the Human Rights
Council's Universal Periodic Review
concerning human rights in Sri Lanka last
week said.
It also said that abductions and
disappearances, which have re-emerged in the
country, are occurring on a large scale in
the north, east and the south in the
country.
"However, only cursory, if any
investigations and inquiries have been
conducted into these crimes, with the
perpetrators typically allowed to escape
unpunished," the ALRC said.
In its submission the Hong Kong based ALRC
accused the government of opposing
suggestions for a UN field presence in the
country.
"The ALRC and its sister-organisation, the
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), have
consistently maintained that if a state has
the capacity and will to carry out
investigations into gross violations of
human rights occurring within its
jurisdiction, there is no requirement for
international intervention.
"The government and its mouthpieces insist
that Sri Lanka has the required capacity to
deal with the prevailing situation and that
the UN is required only to provide technical
assistance," it was said.
It added that by consistently failing to
conduct credible investigations and
deliberately obstructing them, the state has
shown that it lacks not so much the capacity
but the requisite will to safeguard the
rights of its citizens.
Gas now Rs.1749
By Nirmala Kannangara
The government on Friday approved the
increase of gas prices for Shell and Laugfs
by Rs.261 and Rs.336 respectively.
Subsequent to the applications made by the
Shell Gas Company and Laugfs Holdings
Limited for a price hike on par with the
pricing formula, the Consumer Affairs
Authority (CAA) on Friday approved the price
increase, which came into affect from
yesterday (March 1).
Chairman CAA, Rumy Marzook told The Sunday
Leader Friday that the CAA allowed the Shell
domestic gas cylinder to be increased by
Rs.261 and the Laugfs cylinder by Rs.336.
Accordingly the shell was allowed to
increase from Rs.1488 to Rs. 1749 while
Laugfs was allowed to go up from Rs. 1495 to
Rs.1831 with effect from yesterday.
However highly placed sources from the
Laugfs Holdings Limited told The Sunday
Leader that although the Laugfs was allowed
to increase the gas prices up to Rs. 1831
they did not increase the allowed price but
only in par with Shell gas cylinder.
SLT moves to stop sexual
harassment
By Kshanika Argent
A new policy on sexual harassment has been
issued with immediate effect by Sri Lanka
Telecom (SLT) to all employees in a bid by
the company to create awareness on the
matter and to address sexual harassment in
the workplace.
A panel has been appointed for the purpose
of looking into all complaints of harassment
and comprises B. M. Jinadasa (Chairman) and
M. Padmaperuma and N. Somaratne.
According to the policy, all employees have
a right to dignity at the workplace and all
complaints of harassment will be treated
seriously and confidentially.
Indecent exposure, posters, graffiti, sexual
gestures, electronic mail or verbal obscene
language, lewd comments, nuisance calls,
rumours, gossip, slander and tactile
pinching, touching, squeezing, kissing or
molesting will be regarded as sexual
harassment.
Disciplinary measures taken by the company
in a sexual harassment will not be limited
to verbal warning or counseling, a written
warning or final warning and dismissal.
Any person found guilty of sexual harassment
by a court of law could face punishment,
which range from imprisonment of up to 5
years with or without hard labour, a fine,
or the culprit paying compensation to the
victim according to the SLT circular.
According to the circular released by SLT,
the policy aims at ensuring that an
environment free of all kinds of harassment,
including sexual harassment is maintained.
FEB spends Rs.2.5 mn to
repatriate SL migrant workers
By Kshanika Argent
The Foreign Employment Bureau (FEB) has
spent Rs. 2.5 million for the first two
months of 2008 in repatriating Sri Lankan
migrant workers.
The FEB told The Sunday Leader that last
Tuesday, 162 migrant workers from Kuwait and
Riyadh were flown back home from 'safe
houses' of the Sri Lankan embassies they
were seeking refuge in, at the expense of
the FEB.
Of the 162, one hundred were from Kuwait
while 62 were from Riyadh. A further 100 are
expected to return home during the course of
this week from Riyadh.
The FEB said that last year 18,000 Sri
Lankan's left for foreign employment, of
whom 400 have returned. Deputy General
Manager of FEB L. K. Ruhunuge stated that
the numbers seemed large because Sri Lanka
has a large population in Saudi Arabia but
that the percentage was in fact very small.
He said, "We hope to one day bring the
numbers of migrant workers returning home
because of these issues to zero and are in
discussion with officials in Saudi."
The reasons ranged from excessive workloads
to non-payment of salaries by employers and
mistreatment. Many of the workers had run
away from their employers according to the
FEB who stated that so far, Rs. 9 million in
salaries that had not been paid to employees
had been recovered by the FEB last year and
that the FEB is in the process of recovering
salaries of the migrant workers who have
been brought down and those who are expected
to arrive next week.
Despite the hardships faced by these
workers, the FEB stated that most of them
opt to go back abroad. There is currently a
population of 500,000 migrant workers in
Saudi Arabia.
Sapugaskanda
Refinery closed for repairs
By Nirmala Kannangara
The shut down of Sapugaskanda refinery for
repairs at a time when the world fuel prices
are at their peak has badly affected the
country's economy, sources from the Ceylon
Petroleum Corporation (CPC) said.
Despite the annual fuel price hikes in the
world between November and March due to the
high fuel demand in the European countries
during the winter season, the CPC's decision
to shut down its refinery in January has
been roundly criticised.
Sixty percent of the country's fuel needs
are met by the Sapugaskanda refinery and the
balance 40% is imported into the country.
The closure of the refinery has compelled
the CPC to import the country's entire fuel
requirement at a higher cost burdening the
already suffering masses, CPC sources told
The Sunday Leader .
"The CPC's decision to repair the refinery
at a time when world fuel prices are at its
peak has led the corporation to purchase the
country's entire fuel need at a very high
cost. What the corporation would have done
was to shut down the refinery during April
to July when the world fuel prices are at
the lowest but not at this juncture," said
the sources.
These sources pointed out that although the
government has been saying that world fuel
prices have reached its peak, it has failed
to state as to why the country is purchasing
its entire need at a high price when they
could have averted such a situation if the
government was really concerned about the
state of the country's economy.
"This clearly shows the ignorance of the
Petroleum Ministry and the CPC management.
To ensure the smooth functioning of the
refinery, it was to be repaired in March
2006; but the Ministry's failure to give
permission for the repairs made the
management to shut down the refinery for
repairs at the most inappropriate time," the
sources further claimed.
Meanwhile, Secretary, Petroleum and
Petroleum Resources Ministry, A.P.A.
Gunasekara justifying the decision to shut
down the refinery for repairs in January
told The Sunday Leader that it was compelled
to shut downs the refinery as it needed
repairs badly.
However, when asked as to why he failed to
approve the repairs in March 2006 which
would have saved billions in foreign
exchange and also why he could not delay the
repairs till the world fuel prices dipped
during April-July, Gunasekara failed to give
an explanation.
"We had to offer the job on tender. The
necessary machinery were brought late last
year and that is why we had to start the
work in January. What is the use of delaying
the repairs till April? That would not make
any difference," said Gunasekara.
CBK, Rice to speak in
Brussels
Patron of the SLFP and
former President Chandrika Kumaratunga and
US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice have
been invited by the European Union to speak
in Brussels to mark the International
Women’s Day this week.
The invitations to both
Kumaratunga and Rice were extended by EU
Commissioner for External Relations, Benita
Ferrero-Waldner.
International Women’s Day
is celebrated on March 8 but the EU has
decided to have its event on March 6 with a
two-day conference on the theme,’ Women in
an insecure world’.
The Sunday Leader learns
the EU has invited four main speakers for
the ceremony including Kumaratunga, Rice and
the President of Latvia.
It is learned Kumaratunge
is to speak on ‘ Women as peacemakers - a
new governance’.
JVP announces all
island strike
JVP affiliated trade
unions have called on trade unionists to
launch an island wide token strike to win
the demands of the working masses.
JVP parliamentarian and
President, National Trade Union Center, K.
D. Lalkantha addressing a gathering of trade
union leaders last week had called upon the
trade unions to reactivate its previous
decision to hold an islandwide token strike.
The meeting of trade
union leaders had been called to reactivate
the previous decision of the JVP trade
unions to launch an island wide token strike
against the controversial 6/2006 salary
circular issued by the government.
Lalkantha addressing the
trade unionists had said that the previous
decision to hold the strike had to be called
off as the government decided to withdraw
from the ceasefire agreement on the day
scheduled for the strike. He had said that
holding a strike at such a time would have
created a wrong impression on the workers’
action.
According to Lalkantha,
the strike that was called off on behalf of
the country has to be reactivated on behalf
of the country and its people.
Lalkantha speaking of the
handing over of awards by President Mahinda
Rajapakse to several trade union activists
has said that the JVP trade unions did not
need awards from state heads who are
involved in suppressing workers.
Meanwhile, the JVP
affiliated All Ceylon Teachers’ Services
Union has said they would go ahead with the
sick note campaign scheduled for this
Tuesday, as the meeting the union
representatives had with the President was a
failure.
The President met with
the trade union to resolve the long-standing
salary issues of the public sector teachers.
The unions have called
for the implementation of the salary
increment proposals recommended in the
interim report submitted by the Education
Ministry to the National Salaries Commission
in May last year.
Inflation on the rise
The country’s inflation
level continues to remain high with the
Colombo Consumer’s Price Index (CCPI)
recording a 24% rate of inflation for
February while the CCPI for January was
recorded at 21.6%.
The CCPI for the month of
February was posted at 6345.4 index points,
which is an increase of 42.9 index points or
0.7% from January 2008. CCPI for January was
posted at 6302.5 index points.
According to the Census
and Statistics Department, it is an increase
of Rs. 86.67 in the expenditure value of the
market basket when compared to January 2008.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has
predicted high inflation for the first half
of this year — saying inflation would be
between 16 and 20%.
2008 Telephone Directory ready for
collection
By Risidra Mendis
All SLT registered residential customers
will receive coupons to collect their
residential and business directories before
mid March.
However SLT residential customers have the
option of collecting their directories when
they go to pay their bills in most of the
places.
Speaking to The Sunday Leader General
Manager Directory Services L. P. M. P.
Balapitiya said while 85% of the subscribers
had received their directories, this year
the subscribers have the option of
collecting either the residential directory
or a CD in addition to the business
directory.
"The directory CD includes all-island
residential and business directory
information, rainbow pages as well as
government institutions. The 2008 directory
is different from the directories printed in
the past as it includes a separate section
for hotels listed by area and a government
index in Sinhala English and Tamil.
Customers don't have to go through the whole
list in search of names and numbers of
hotels in the business pages as the
directory has been separated by the areas
this year," Balapitiya said.
He added that residents in Havelock Town,
Bambalapitiya, Wellawatte, Maradana and
Borella areas had already been sent their
coupons. "We will post coupons to residents
in Nugegoda within the next few days while
Wattala, Kotte, Gampaha and Kalutara will be
covered within the next two weeks,"
Balapitiya explained.
Referring to complaints made by customers
about the delay in issuing directories,
Balapitiya said there were nearly 600,000
directories printed for the Western
Province alone for 2008. "No printer can
print so many directories within a month. A
lorry can transport only around 4000
directories at a time. We wanted to give our
customers a good, quality, comprehensive
directory that meets the international
standards, this year," Balapitiya said.
Ganesan refutes claim of SL Embassy in
Paris
In a letter to France 24 Television Channel,
the Sri Lankan Embassy in France, has
expressed concern that the channel has
portrayed a one-sided view of the situation
in the country in the channel's special
report titled; Sri Lanka, Tamil Mothers
Waiting for Their Sons.
The letter was sent by Sugeeswara Senadhira,
Minister Counselor for the Embassy on behalf
of the government of Sri Lanka. The letter
had said that Civil Monitoring Mission (CMC)
Commissioner Mano Ganesan, was not in exile
for security reasons but has the security of
18 police officers.
In his letter, Senadhira states, "The
allegation that hundreds have been abducted
or disappeared is an absolute canard."
He said, "There is no truth whatsoever about
the absurd charge of 'ethnic cleansing' and
in Colombo the population comprises of 35
percent Tamils who live safely."
Meanwhile, Ganesan has hit back at the
letter stating that Senadhira does not know
anything of the reality prevailing in Sri
Lanka.
Ganesan said, "It is not because of the
government action but due to the court's
intervention I have some security now. Yes,
I am living in Colombo as this is my
constituency. I am not a fat diplomat living
on government money."
Ganesan went on to state, "As per the court
order, the police have provided me eight
security personnel and not eighteen."
Ganesan said, "If not for the court
intervention, the eviction of Tamils would
have continued and more Tamil citizens would
have been chased away from the city. The CMC
has complied and listed the names of
hundreds of persons gone missing in the
period of last two years in Colombo and the
suburbs. The numbers in the north and east
go beyond thousands. We have forwarded the
lists of missing persons to the Prime
Minister, Minister of Human Rights and the
Police Commission Chairman. If this man who
is living on Sri Lankan taxpayers' money in
Paris calls my statement 'canard,' he is
actually passing the label to the Prime
Minister. We have the name lists,
complaints, documents and letters etc. I
have the facts."
Finally Ganesan said, "Maheswaran's
assassination is being investigated. It is
not over. How can anybody come to the
conclusion before the completion of case,
when the family of Maheswarn is not prepared
to buy this 'LTTE story.'"
Improved local farming methods a boost to
milk industry
By Shezna Shums
Improvements in local farming methods have
enabled dairy farmers to increase the output
of milk from the cattle reared in the farms.
The worldwide shortage of milk has also
compelled local farmers to now utilise all
cattle that are able to provide milk.
Previously animals that provided only a few
litres of milk were not utilised.
Chairman, National Livestock Development
Board (NLDB), C. Pathirajah told The Sunday
Leader that currently the price of a metric
ton of imported milk powder is over $ 5000.
The NLDB is now in the process of increasing
the number of animals in order to increase
the amount of fresh milk in the market.
"If a single animal usually produced two or
three litres of milk, we are trying to
increase the amount to about 15 litres per
animal," said the Chairman
He said that this could be achieved within
three generations of improved breeding.
He also added that the factors affecting
better output were better management, water
and improved food for the animals, which is
now being looked into by the board.
"We can see a 25 fold improvement when the
animals are managed and fed better,' said
the Chairman.
The NLDB is taking steps to improve
cultivation of maize as well as carry out
special embryo transfers in order to
increase the amount of milk produced by each
animal.
There are approximately 1.1 million animals
in the island and generally in a herd of
cattle about 30 percent are milk producing
cows.
The Chairman also explained that despite the
increasing cost of electricity, machine
milking was an efficient way of collecting
fresh milk with the animals remaining clean.
"Overall machine milking is cheaper,
otherwise the wages for persons to milk the
animals would be high," said the Chairman.
The Chairman also explained that for the
last three-decades Sri Lanka has seen a
shortfall in milk production.
The country at present imports about 80
percent of its milk requirement. Further the
entire country's milk import amounts to
about 1/5 of the total imports of the
country.
"Improving the local milk industry will help
generate jobs in the village level and make
villages self sufficient," said the
Chairman.
The Chairman also added that there were
about 500,000 families dependant on the
livestock industry and about 200,000
depending on the dairy farming industry.
Travelling to Tamil Nadu cheaper than flying
to Jaffna
By Arthur Wamanan
Travelling to Tamil Nadu is cheaper and
easier than flying to Jaffna, travel agents
and civilians said.
According to travel agents, the cost to fly
to Jaffna ranges from Rs. 18,000 to Rs.
19,500 both ways.
Aero Lanka and Expo Air are the only
domestic airlines flying to the north.
However, the cheapest rate to travel to
Tamil Nadu is only Rs. 13,200.
According to travel agents, Air India
charges Rs. 13,800 both ways, while Indian
Airways and SriLankan Airlines charge Rs.
17,500.
However, the charges are likely to be
brought down in the near future.
Civilians who had travelled to Jaffna by air
recently also said that the ticket cost to
Jaffna had increased considerably due to the
current situation and restrictions in
travelling.
Travel charges to the north began to
increase following the closure of the A9
highway in August 2006, and continued to
increase gradually due to restrictions
brought later on due to security concerns.
According to an official at Aero Lanka, the
minimum cost to fly to Jaffna and back was
Rs. 12,000 before the closure of the A9
highway.
The official who did not wish to be quoted
told The Sunday Leader that the ticket price
had increased rapidly following the closure
of the main highway.
Domestic flights to the peninsula were also
temporarily halted soon after the closure of
A9 due to attacks on the Palaly Airport.
Flights eventually commenced with heavy
security measures taken at the Ratmalana and
Palaly Airports.
Passengers also complained that the services
provided by the domestic airlines were below
par considering the ticket charges.
Authorities however denied such allegations
stating that there was inconvenience caused
due to security concerns and that the
authorities were bound to ensure the safety
of passengers.
Moves to provide USD 18.6 mn for settlement
of IDPs
By Kshanika Argent
The United Nations High Commission for
Refugees (UNHCR) is appealing for USD 18.6
million to provide assistance to current
refugees in the north and east of the
country as well as fresh population
movements that might occur as a result of
the conflict during 2008.
The UNHCR office in Colombo told The Sunday
Leader that the funds will be utilised for
the assistance and protection of those who
are displaced.
Apart from this, the funds sought by UNHCR
will go towards providing shelter, non-food
relief items and camp management.
According to UNHCR figures recorded from
April 2006 to end January this year, there
are 187, 863 persons displaced in Sri
Lanka's north and east.
The UNHCR office also stated that in
addition, following the 2002 ceasefire
agreement and the return of tens of
thousands of IDPs to their areas of origin,
some 312,000 persons remained in a state of
protracted displacement during the last 20
years of conflict and solutions for this
stable population are being found.
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