MINISTRY SPAS centre rubbed off

The government will ban any new unit set up by ministers under their respective ministries which are not listed in the gazette which recognizes institutions and units under those ministries, top government sources disclosed to us.

This follows the detection of a Spa set up by a prominent minister under his ministry under the guise of a physical health exercise centre where young women have been employed as ‘Therapists’ and their salaries being paid by ministry funds.

Sources at the ministry confirmed the existence of that Spa and disclosed that the centre was being managed by the minister’s wife. ‘These young girls brought from a distant district which the minister represents are paid more than the manager of the Spa’, they noted.

They said that plans were afoot to open a branch of the Spa in that district  at the cost of the ministry under the guise of expanding the project to provide public health services like massages, physical exercises and therapeutic treatment.

The Nations learns that the issue is to be taken up at cabinet level after President Maithripala Sirisena returns to the country after his official overseas visits to Germany and Austria as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has taken serious note over waste of public funds under ministries for unwanted projects.

Last week, the Premier warned  ministries not to waste public funds and utilize budgetary allocations to deliver results for the benefit of the public.

Girl arrested with Magic Mushrooms

A haul of dangerous drugs including Magic Mushroom was taken into police custody following a raid conducted by Police in Narahenpita area yesterday.

Police have found 27 packets of Magic Mushroom, 42 containers of Propolis (a dangerous drug) and 16 g of hashish. The value of these drugs was estimated to be about Rs 250,000, Police Media Unit said.

A 21-year-old woman who was present at the scene was also taken into police custody.

The suspect revealed that Magic Mushroom was brought to Sri Lanka from United States of America (USA). Foreign women were used for this purpose, she said.

The suspect has been handed over to Narahenpita Police for further investigations.

Rajitha Senaratne to fly Singapore for medical check-up

Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne will leave for Singapore tonight for a medical checkup on medical advice, the minister’s spokesman said.  

 The minister was earlier admitted to a private hospital in Colombo where the doctors had advised him a period of bed rest. “However, the minister is scheduled to participate in a seminar in India on Monday and therefore it was advisable to visit a hospital in Singapore on the way to India,” spokesman Nipun Ekanayake said. He said it was only a part of the minister’s regular medical check-up.

Field Marshal motivates national cricketer

Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka was a surprise visitor to the Sri Lanka Cricket headquarters yesterday where the Sri Lanka Cricket Executive Committee chaired by president Thilanga Sumathipala held a meeting with the Sri Lanka national team bound for the Asia Cup and World T20.

The Field Marshal was invited by Sumathipala to address and motivate the team ahead of the two mega events where Sri Lanka will be defending their titles.

He held informal discussions with the national team players and its support staff in overcoming challenges. During the discussions the Field Marshal shared his experiences as the former commander of the Sri Lanka Army where his tactics paved the way to winning a long standing war against terrorism in the North and East. At the conclusion of the discussions the players expressed their gratitude to the Field Marshal for the insight that he provided. 

Sri Lanka T20 captain Lasith Malinga presented the Field Marshal with a team T-shirt and invited him to come and watch the matches. The Field Marshal in reply said that he will be watching Sri Lanka play in the final of the World T20 and the Asia Cup wearing the T-shirt.

Please don't allow anyone to ruin the hard earned good governance to the country

Minister of Ports and Shipping Arjuna Ranatunga extending a letter to the Minister of Sports has requested him not to allow anyone to ruin the hard earned good governance to the country.

A response letter to the Minister of Sports titled 'Illegal sports election and the unsolicited behavior of the Director General of Sports during the Cricket Election period', the Minister Ranatunga has further described he would be a witness in any case filed against Director General of cricket over his unsolicited behavior during the 2016-2018 cricket election time.

Minister has also expressed his regrets over the Sport Minister for not making his stance on the transparency of the cricket election process which finished violating and misinterpreting the 13,14,15 articles in Sport regulation and 11(F) (V) in the Cricket Act. He has also criticized the Sports Minister's effort of over appreciating DG of Cricket by hiding his faults.

"The illegal behavior of DG of Cricket has ruined not just the Cricket election, but the election processes in Sri Lanka badminton, Hockey, Volleyball, Rugby, Cycling and Physical Fitness. We never expected such kind of complicated election under government towards the good governance. I kindly request you never protect these kinds of corrupted persons anymore.

You should have carried out an investigation through an independent expertise committee, against the DG of Cricket when the allegations were filed against him during the cricket election period. You have failed to take any action against him and it demonstrates invisible ties between you and corrupted officials.

The existing unity government between the President-Prime Minister towards good governance was a hard earned to the country and we faced lots of practical challenges and risks on our way. However, some people who worked against the President and the Prime Minister's efforts towards establishing good governance and who laughed at their efforts are today, ruining the good governance by holding Minister posts heads seats in the government.

Hon. Minister of Sports, the section 15-2 in the Sports regulations has given the authority to the Minister of Sports to remove officials from their position if it had been proved their disqualification to the appointed to the position through an election for National Sport Committee.  So, I request you to take same actions against disqualified persons. 

As well, I urge you to carry out a proper investigation against the DG for his biased conduct during the cricket election period. I will be a witness before the investigation committee. 

If the investigations confirmed his disqualification to the post, I request you to take legal actions against them and cancel their appointments while granting concessions to the aggrieved parties.

It is my responsibility to make the President and the Prime Minister acknowledged about the matter which happened during the good governance regulations of the government", the Minister further mentions in his letter.

The copy of the letter extended to the Minister of Sports Dayasiri Jayasekara by the Minister of Ports and Shipping Arjuna Ranatunga has been attached with the release. 

Mahinda Rajapaksa at PRECIFAC

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges (PRECIFAC) today (18) to give a statement on the non-payment of outstanding bills to ITN for the political advertisements during the 2015 Presidential Election campaign.

Champika Ranawaka speaks on unauthorized occupants in the Thotalanga

The demands of the unauthorized settlers who have already been given houses will not be entertained, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development Patali Champika Ranawaka, informed the Thotalanga protestors yesterday.

In a discussion held with representatives of the Thotalanga settlers who held demonstrations blocking the Japan Lanka Friendship Bridge on Monday evening, the minister said that the authorities will give a one month grace period to the residents who were living on rent in the houses of the original owners, to vacate the premises. "The owners of the houses would have already been awarded a house, but since the current occupants were living on rent they have now no houses. The police and the authorities are now engaged in identifying these families and those who are yet to receive houses will also be allowed to stay temporarily ," Minister Champika Ranawaka told the News.

The discussion was held yesterday at the Megapolis and Western Development Ministry in Battaramulla.

The Minister highlighted that the policy is to allocate a house for a house, not a house for each family living in the settlement.

"Their demand that each family should be given temporary housing is unfair. They were allocated a house for each house they had. We cannot do anything if there were more than one family living in the house. We have allocated houses taking into consideration the size of the original houses they owned," Ranawaka said.

Those who have been settled there by the UDA on a transits basis and the others who have rented houses from the third party will be identified and allowed to remain for another month, while all others are to vacate immediately.

Addressing the media yesterday at the Ministry, Minister Ranawaka said that the removal of unauthorized occupants in the Thotalanga area was done in a fair and justifiable manner. He said the residents have been given adequate notice to move into the houses they were allotted.

Some of the protesters who made comments to the electronic media are the owners of two housing units provided by the government. According to the standard procedure followed by the UDA, two houses had been given to the persons whose houses were more than 700 square feet while owners of smaller houses have all been allocated a 400square feet house.

The government has already provided houses for all the families living in unauthorized constructions in Thotalanga area apart from the 35 families who have temporally been settled by the government.

Minister Ranawaka said that the keys of the houses were gifted to the house owners at a function held on January 12, 2016 and informed them to move away from the temporary shelters by January 31 this year.

"We also informed the families who are in rented houses to shift to a new place before December 31 last year. We provided houses only for the owners of these illegal dwellings. But on Saturdays and Sundays people just come and put up shanties with the intention of getting the ownership of this state owned land. The situation became worst last weekend as a large number of persons came there to claim the said land. So we had to take immediate measures to control this situation," said the minister.

He also said that the present government is dedicated to provide houses for all shanty dwellers and uplift their living standards.

"We will never let any person or a group to intervene and sabotage this effort," he stressed.

Addressing the media, Urban Development Authority Director General Nayana Mawilmada said that under the Urban Regeneration Project, the UDA aims to develop the Colombo city area under a proper plan by taking back all the underutilized lands in the area.

"We have identified that around 68,000 slums occupying 900 acres are scattered on government land. Measures have already started to provide permanent houses to these illegal dwellers. We have already built 5000 houses and the constructions of 11,000 houses have already been started.

Increase in underworld activities in Sri Lanka

The recent events show an unpleasant increase in underworld activities. In some cases Buddhist monks are involved. 

Under the Mahinda regime ruling party politicians were considered to be above the law and were suspected for underworld connections. In one case, a British national was killed and his Russian girlfriend was sexually abused in public by a group led by a local politician, even the British royal family had to intervene to push the Mahinda regime to arrest the suspects and after one year the long arm of the law reached the culprits. Now the ruling party politicians are being arrested, not for underworld activities, but for taking the law into their hands to settle violent disputes as in the case involving the Colombo District UNP Parliamentarian Hirunika Premachandra.

However, when it comes to the Police there seem to be delays because it took more than five days for the Police to carry out the order issued by the Embilipitiya Magistrate to arrest an ASP, an OIC and several other Police Officers, in connection with the death of a youth during a clash with the Police in Embilipitiya. 

Then the question arises whether the Police are working with an under-world organization, because the Police have not given any reason for not following the Magistrate's order immediately. If the suspects were not connected to such latent power then they would have used even minimum force to apprehend them if there was any protest. There are very important things to discuss. One main matter to ponder on is the public image of the Police; that it is independent of political power and underworld pressure. When one says political influence one has to take political terror of oppositional

politicians too!

Recently we saw several incidents in respect of contempt of Court involving oppositional political terror. The General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena, Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera and several other monks were remanded, for their alleged unruly behaviour within and outside the Homagama Magistrate's Court. Like in that instance, the law enforcement agencies should act diligently and apprehend those responsible without delay. Instead some media reported with the introduction of a heroic picture for the culprits. After that event the Sinha-Le movement came out with much vigour. In fact, the creatively designed Sinha-Le logo started appearing on vehicles since late November last year. Though many began to wonder about this newly emerging possibly ultra-nationalistic movement, it had no attraction plus or minus. After the Homagama incident, most importantly the minorities started worrying.

The democratic revolution

After the democratic revolution, minorities were enjoying assuming racism will be curbed following the end of the Mahinda regime. There was a period where it appeared that racism had come to an end. In fact, the emergence of Sinha-Le (Lion Blood) took place, as far back as 2010 when a primarily designed website appeared on internet, but with less or no attention. We were told that the owner-designer of the website was from Kurunegala, but was trying hard to get the branding popular among the Sinhala Buddhist populace, with no success.

The competition for Sinhala chauvinist leadership within the Sinhala Buddhist community during that time was a bit high, mainly as it was just after the defeat of the LTTE. One writer said: "The vociferous Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) was gaining momentum under the 'unsung' State patronage; thus new movements like Sinha-Le were not picking up, even within the cyber space. Though repeatedly denied, BBS had an undeclared honeymoon with the then Mahinda regime. At least the mere silence by the State when non-Buddhist establishments – predominantly of Muslims were attacked in several cities of the country was a clear sign of this undisclosed marriage. No arrests were made, no action taken against these unlawful acts of the BBS. In contrast the social media was full of pictures of the BBS leadership with the former Defence Secretary and the movement had a free hand to do anything, as it wished."

The problem is that such organizations still have power to frighten not only the media, but also the Police in certain areas. However, the independence of Police from such terror is very essential in maintaining law and order in the country. The Police are an inseparable apparatus in safeguarding democracy. In a bourgeoise democracy, we are told that, the people do not have anyone to turn to other than the police in times of emergency and disaster. Therefore, the public image of the Police is essential in maintaining law and order in such a democracy. If there is a situation where people do not respect the Police and do not accept it is independent, it would be very difficult for the Police to carry out their duty.