A bag of cement which is controlled at Rs. 950 is being sold unofficially at a price of Rs. 1400-1500 in the black market
Many in the construction industry have been severely inconvenienced by the heavy cement shortage that has been in place for more than three months. Due to the shortage of cement, a bag of cement which is controlled at Rs. 950 is being sold unofficially at a price of Rs. 1400-1500. Due to this shortage of cement, many people in the construction industry, such as masons and assistants, have lost their livelihoods.A leading cement company in the country states that the reason for the shortage of cement is the shortage of dollars for the import of cement. 60% of the local cement demand is from Sri Lanka and the remaining 40% is imported. The shortage of cement has also been affected by the suspension of cement imports by many companies due to the dollar shortage.
Make the 13th Amendment fully operational – Indian Foreign Secretary informs President
Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has stressed that all the provisions of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka should be implemented in the same manner. A statement issued by the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka following the visit of the Indian Foreign Secretary said that the matter was brought to the notice of President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa during a meeting with him. During the meeting, the Foreign Secretary had said that Sri Lanka should implement all the provisions of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution and that the provisions of the 13th Amendment on the devolution of powers contained in the 13th Amendment and that the Provincial Council elections should be held expeditiously. Although India has made it very clear that it will fully implement the 13th Amendment (06), Foreign Minister Prof. GL Peiris called a press conference. Mr. Peiris made no mention about the request.
Indian fishermen attack Jaffna fishermen in North Sea
The Gurunagar Fishermen’s Association says that a group of fishermen from the Gurunagar area in Jaffna escaped after being attacked by an Indian fishing vessel that had entered the Jaffna seas without permission. A fishing trawler consisting of three fishermen from the Gurunagar area was fishing in the Gurunagar seas when an Indian trawler that had entered the Gurunagar seas had hit the Jaffna fishing trawler, severely damaged it and attacked the fishermen, leaving the three fishermen stranded at sea. After the Indian fishing vessel left, the fishermen boarded the damaged fishing vessel and asked for help. The Gurunagar fishermen’s boat was completely destroyed in the collision with the Indian trawler and the Gurunagar Fishermen’s Association has called on the authorities to take immediate action to stop the attacks on Indian fishermen and the harassment of northern fishermen.
Former Minister Nirupama Rajapaksa’s husband Thirukumar Nadesan has been summoned by the Bribery and Corruption Commission
Former Minister Nirupama Rajapaksa’s husband Thirukumar Nadesan has been summoned by the Bribery and Corruption Commission tomorrow. He has been summoned to make a statement regarding the investigations into the allegations revealed by the Panadora leaflets. These investigations are being carried out on the instructions of President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to conduct an immediate inquiry into the revelations and submit a report to him within a month. Thirukumar Nadesan also wrote a letter to the President requesting that an independent investigator be appointed to investigate the matter as he and his wife’s names were mentioned in the relevant leaflets.
The International Federation of Investigative Journalists identified 93 names of Sri Lankans
The names of 93 Sri Lankans have been identified by the International Federation of Investigative Journalists. . On several occasions those names appear in the Panama Papers, the Ofhos Papers, the Bahamas Papers and the Paradise Papers.
A strong earthquake has shaken the Balochistan province of Pakistan
A strong earthquake has shaken the Balochistan province of Pakistan this morning. At least 20 people have been reported dead and the death toll could rise further, disaster management officials said. The epicenter was reported at 5.7 on the Richter scale. Buildings in the area collapsed, killing people, reporters said. Another 150 people were injured in the quake, some of them in critical condition.
President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has called for an immediate investigation on Sri Lankans in pandora papers
President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has called for an immediate inquiry into the transactions of Sri Lankans in the pandora papers, which has caused a great deal of controversy around the world. Presidential Spokesman Kingsley Ratnayake stated that the President has also issued this order at the Bribery or Corruption Commission this morning. Cabinet Spokesman Minister Dullas Alahapperuma stated that the President has ordered that the relevant investigation report be submitted within a month.
An island-wide protests will be held today- The Teachers Trade Unions
The Teachers Trade Unions state that protests will be held island-wide today when Teachers Day falls. Although the government has made arrangements to start schools, the trade union representatives say that they are not ready to teach in schools. The General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers Union Joseph Stalin states that a series of protests have been organized throughout Sri Lanka today over the failure to resolve the issue of teachers’ salaries. He also said that at present the profession takes eighty-seven days to today.
I have no intention of entering politics- Rohitha Rajapaksa
Rohitha Rajapaksa, the son of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, has stated that he has no intention of entering politics. He also said that he was only working to fulfill the promises made by his father to the people during the election campaign in Kurunegala. He has also stated that he rejects reports that he will contest for the post of Chief Minister in the forthcoming North Western Provincial Council election. He said that although he was not involved in politics, he was involved in social projects for the benefit of the people. He further stated that he is invited to get good intentions and not with the intention of getting votes
Former presidents would also be responsible for the fraud had revealed by pandora papers
Minister of State Shehan Semasinghe has stated that Pandora’s Newspapers revealed earnings for the period 1990-2000. At the time of the allegations, JR Jayewardene, R. Pedramadasa, DB Wijetunga and Chandrika Kumaratunga were the Presidents of this country, he said He said that if such a fraud had taken place at that time, then the former presidents would also be responsible for it and added that Mahinda Rajapaksa became the President in 2005. He said this during a debate in Parliament.