Embilipitiya ASP reinstated

ASP C. R. Dharmaratne interdicted for his alleged involvement in the killing of a youth in Embilipitiya will be re-instated, police headquarters said. 

The medical evidence leading to the death of the youth Sumith Prasanna has shown that the cause of his death was not due to being pushed from an upper floor of the building where he had been attending a party. Some of his relatives had alleged that he had been pushed from an upper floor of the building to his death.

Chaminda Vaas returns to SLC

Sri Lanka's most successful fast bowler Chaminda Vaas will be back with Sri Lanka Cricket's (SLC) Coaching Staff, revealed SLC President Thilanga Sumathipala yesterday.

According to Sumathipala, Vaas will be handed the responsibilities of training Sri Lanka's fast bowling squad which will comprise fast bowlers coming through District, Provincial and Developments Squads.

"We have requested Vaas to start working with us from the end of this month" said Sumathipala who also stated that the appointment will not be for the National Team.

The fitness of Sri Lankan fast bowlers came under some question when the Island Nation lost four of their top fast bowlers (Dhammika Prasad, Dushmantha Chameera, Suranga Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep) due to injuries while Shaminda Eranga was banned for an illegal bowling action during the England tour.

In addition, promising fast bowler Vishwa Fernando made his debut in the Galle Test against Australia but he bowled only two overs, while Under-19 fast bowler Asitha Fernando was also called up for the Sri Lanka Squad.

Sumathipala further said, there are three reasons which they have identified as the main cause for these injuries.

"The first thing is the scientific approach where we should be able to identify the physique of the player and then identify how many overs he will be able to bowl for a spell for a day and when he will need rest. That information should be run by the High Performance Manager, National Coach and Captain. There was no system like that," said Sumathipala.

The SLC Chief also said the second reason will be the rehabilitation process where SLC should identify when a player should go under recovery process and after how many overs.

"The third fact is the systematic way of developing and pooling fast bowlers into District, Provincial levels, Development Squads and so on where we have already invited Chaminda Vaas to work with us" said Sumathipala.

Vaas who played 111 Tests and 322 ODIs claimed 194 Test and 320 ODI wickets. Sri Lanka's pace bowling department was at a high level when he was the fast bowling coach where the pacemen played a major role in Sri Lanka's Test series win in England in 2014.

Vaas functioned as the National Fast Bowling Coach from February 2013 to April 2015 before he resigned as the SLC were not prepared to renew his contract. Vaas had openly criticized the governing body at that time.

Apart from his National duties Vaas also worked with the New Zealand Team as a consultant when the Kiwis visited Sri Lanka. He also worked with the Ireland Team during the last ICC Twenty20 World Cup held in India.

Ranjan to resolve artistes housing problem

Social Empowerment and Welfare Deputy Minister and United National Arts Forum (Eksath Jathika Kala Sansadaya) President Ranjan Ramanayake is planing to resolve the housing problem of the artistes by promoting the construction of special artistes villages (Kala Gammana) and allocating 50 houses from the Athurugiriya Green Valley luxury apartment complex to artistes at a low price as a special relief.

The deputy minister has taken these measures following President Maithripala Sirisena's and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's instructions that every effort should be made under the good governance government to ensure the welfare of the artistes.

The first artistes village (Kala Gammanaya) under this programme will be set up in an area between Homagama and Kesbewa. It is hoped to build 150 house under the first stage of this project.

Housing and Construction Minister Sajith Premadasa who offered his blessings for this programme, appointed his Private Secretary P. Samarasinghe to co-ordinate the programme.

The housing project envisaged under this programme was explained at the Executive Committee meeting held at Sirikotha - UNP headquarters - recently by Committee Secretary Mohan Hettiarachchi.

Actor Vijaya Nandasiri's eyes donated

As per the actor Viyaja Nandasiri's will, his eyes were donated to a sightless person, his family members said.

Speaking to the media earlier today, his wife, Devika Mihirani said, the deceased actor had made the decision to donate his eyes, a few years before his death. "His demise is a great loss. But, we are happy that a sightless person now sees the world through his eyes," the actor's wife said.

SLC invites Murali for awards ceremony

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Board has invited their former off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for the prize distribution ceremony after the completion of the third and final Test against Australia.

This was revealed by the president Thilanga Sumathipala. Speaking exclusively over his mobile from Colombo, he said, “I have asked the secretary Mohan de Silva to invite Murali to give away the awards on the last day of the final Test match”. The dead-rubber Test will be played at the Sinhalese Sports Ground in Colombo from August 13 and 17. “Murali is welcome to witness the entire Test or at least we want him to remain present on the last day of the match on August 17 or on the day, if the Test finishes early”, he added.

The Test series between Sri Lanka and Australia is played for Warne-Murali Trophy since the last 10 years. The trophy features the two bowlers’ right hands and matchused cricket balls bowled by them during their long cricketing careers.

Later, speaking exclusively again, the secretary Mohan de Silva said, “the letter to Murali is being sent today (Monday)”.

“We don’t have a regular practice to invite former players to watch the matches.

However, if the request comes from any player, we do provide him the complimentary passes. So far, we have not received any such request from Muralitharan”.

It will be interesting to see how the world’s highest Test wicket taker Murali would respond to the invitation. The 44-year-old ex-spinner was in the news when he had undertaken the coaching role for the visiting Australian team before the commencement of the series. “My husband remains very busy in his business (Cane Manufacturing) and has not gone to watch the matches since he retired from Test cricket”, Murali’s Indian-wife, Madhi, said to this reporter recently.

“Shane Warne, the other player of the trophy, is not be coming for the final Test”, confirmed the secretary. “We have not received any such request either from Warne or from the Cricket Australia (CA) and we presume Warne would not be arriving”, he signed off. (Bipini Dani)

Nepali trafficked women repatriated from SL

A total of 19 Nepali trafficked women have been repatriated from Sri Lanka with the joint efforts of the Nepalese and Sri Lankan authorities, The Himalayan Times reported today. 

According to the reports, they returned home on Friday, yesterday and today. The 19 Nepali trafficked women were hiding 55 km west from the Sri Lankan capital Colombo and one of them, however, managed to flee. 

“Our embassy in Colombo, in coordination with the Sri Lankan authorities, is trying to find if more trafficked Nepali girls are hiding there so that they can be repatriated,” said the Nepal Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson. Earlier today, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had directed the foreign secretary to immediately rescue Nepalis stranded abroad, including in Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka.

Colombo Port’s new warehouse to be opened

Colombo Port has taken several steps to expand warehouse facilities. Under the first phase Sri Lanka Ports Authority stated that warehouse CFS 01 which was constructed, is to be opened by His Excellency the President Maithripala Sirisena on the 10th of August for the 37th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. 

This 5400 square meters warehouse was built targeting for the operations of half-full cargo transshipment operations and cargo operations.

“Through opening this container operation warehouse center, we expect to further expand, operation facilities of inland half-full cargo operations and operation facilities of transshipment of cargo which are imported and export from various countries. Currently by the use of modern technology, construction activities of the container operation center are happening. Thought this the Ports Authority expects to achieve a number of benefits…” Sri Lanka Ports Authority Service Delivery Director Mr. Upali De Soysa added.

The Port Authority’s main center where container operations are taken place was completely destroyed by a fire in May 2013. After this terrible incident Sri Lanka Ports Authority was facing major difficulties in storing and on continuing on cargo operations.

As a solution to these problems, the new warehouse facility expansion project was started under the guidance of the current Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority Mr. Dammika Ranathunga. The specialty is that this warehouse is done by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority’s Contracts and Planning Division. Sri Lanka Ports Authority therefore, said that by this Sri Lanka Ports Authority was able to save a lot of money.

Sri Lanka Ports Authority consists of 25 divisions. Hon. Minister of Ports and Shipping Mr. Arjuna Ranathunga has advised that all the effort of these 25 divisions should be taken for the benefit of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. And further the Minister declared that on that basis, contacts of numerous constructions and services should not be carried out by external parties and those should be done by those specific divisions. 

According to this vision the new warehouse was built with the use of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority’s technology and manpower. Because of these reasons, the Sri Lankan Ports Authority stated that, they spent Rs.95 million for only the goods needed to construct the new warehouse. Currently all the furniture manufacturing, warehouse constructions and daily maintenance are carried out by Sri Lanka Ports Authority itself.

Divi Neguma to become Samurdhi soon

Divi Neguma will be renamed Samurdhi soon. The Draft Bill for the change of name has been submitted to Parliament for approval after passing through the Legal Draftsman and the Attorney General's approval, Social Empowerment and Welfare Minister S. B. Dissanayake said.

He was speaking at a discussion with Divi Neguma officials held at the Trincomalee Kachcheri auditorium recently.

The discussion was held to create awareness on the strategies to be adopted in providing legal status to Divi Neguma community based banks and unions recently.

Minister Dissanayake said once the draft Bill is passed in Parliament, Divi Neguma will become Samurdhi and Divi Neguma Banks will become Samurdhi Banks.

The name of Divi Neguma Development Department would also be changed as Samurdhi Development Department.

He said poverty could never be eradicated by doling out subsidies. Subsidies could only temporarily control poverty. He said large damage has been done to Divi Neguma banks in the past by officials who knew nothing about micro finance loans culture.

Recalling the times when the Samurdhi movement was in operation, the minister said it was the Samurdhi movement which took the death donation to people having a family bereavement before the death donation society approved them. But when a long drawn out process of submitting birth, death and other certificates and documents for the death donation was introduced the Samurdhi movement got distanced from the public.