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Welgama takes depot managers to task

Published on: Monday, November 12, 2012 //


Pay employees’ salaries on time :
Transport Minister Kumara Welgama said he would not hesitate to dismiss Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLCTB) depot managers who fail to pay employees’ salaries on time.
He said the minister, chairman and officers attached to the SLCTB headquarters draw their salaries on time.
“Workers at bus depots who toil do not get their salaries on time. This should not happen. Due to the weakness on the part of depot managers, workers ‘ salaries are not be paid on time. I will not hesitate to throw out depot managers who cannot pay workers’ salaries on time,” the minister said.
Welgama made these observations after inspecting an SLCTB depot in Anuradhapura last week. The minister said the Treasury provides Rs 10,100 for each worker.
“The balance money has to be provided by the depot. Managers should see to that their depots earn the balance money. I know that some managers are honest and efficient. They ensure workers get paid on time.
They also see that money with regard to buses purchased on lease, are paid on time. Managers can earn nothing by warming chairs. They should report to their depots early and ensure that all buses are put to the road to earn the revenue,” he said. Minister Welgama said depot workers complained that they are yet to receive their September salary.
“How can families of these workers live and sustain themselves without food?” he asked. The minister ordered the manager and officers to pay workers’ salaries or face the consequence. “ I will take stern action against mangers and officers who fail to carry out my orders,” Welgama said. The minister said despite shortcomings, the performance of the depot was satisfactory.

Detailed report on prison riot today

Published on: //

Rehabilitation and Prisons Reforms Minister Chandrasiri Gajadheera said a three member committee has been appointed to probe the incident at the Welikada Prison on Friday evening. Police said the number of people killed following the incident stood at 27. All dead were inmates. Forty three persons were injured in the clash. Among the injured were 13 Special Task Force (STF) officers including STF Commanding Officer DIG R W N C Ranawana, 23 prison inmates, four soldiers and a passerby.

Colombo National Hospital Director Dr Anil Jasinghe said four persons with severe injuries, including DIG Ranawana, were receiving treatment at the Intensive Care Unit.
The tense situation in the Welikada Prison was brought under control by the Police, the STF and the Army, following a gun battle between inmates and STF commandos who carried out a raid on Friday for drugs and smuggled mobile phones inside cells. Police said they recovered 72 weapons grabbed from the armoury by prisoners to battle the STF personnel and are investigating to recover six more weapons removed during the clash.
Six prison escapees have been re-arrested while several more are to be apprehended. Operations are underway to arrest prisoners who escaped with weapons during the clash, Minister Gajadeera said. The Criminal Investigations Department, the Army and other authorities are conducting separate investigations into the incident and that a detailed report is to be issued today, Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Ministry sources said.
Damage to the prison property is yet to be estimated, Commissioner General of Prisons P W Kodippili said.

President pledges to do utmost for War Heroes

Published on: //

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said his government will do its utmost to ensure the well-being of War Heroes and their families. “Our War Heroes fought fearlessly to secure the Motherland and leave a country for all to live in peace and without fear,” he said at the opening of the third Abimansala in Kamburupitiya on Saturday.

“We have routed the enemy and the war against terror is over. But, we have not completed the programme to build the lives of the people in the North and East and we are continuing to do our part to ensure that they live a better life in their own environment,” the President said. The third Abimansala in Walpitawatte, Kamburupitiya is fully equipped to cater to the needs of disabled solders. This is a fulfillment of the promise made in the Mahinda Chinthanaya The facility is meant to rehabilitate, provide medical care, rest and recreation to soldiers who sacrificed their future for the motherland, he said.
President Rajapaksa said the government is committed to create a better tomorrow for soldiers who sacrificed their youths and fought to save the country from the LTTE.
He said looking after hundreds of thousands of misguided youths now rehabilitated, was a duty of the government.
“It is not only those youths who have been rehabilitated, but we also have to see to the well -being of families of fallen solders and ensure that they lead a better life,” he said.
“Our lives were under threat when my government decided to fight terrorism and free the country from the grip of ruthless terrorists. We have achieved our aim of freeing the country from terrorism and when I come to think of our achievements amidst all odds and anxieties, I feel happy and I reconcile myself with humility that I have done my duty to bestow a free country to my people,” the President said.
President Rajapaksa said: “ I opened the Abimansala named Mihindu Seth Medura in the Western Province, Anuradhapura Abimansala for soldiers of the North Central Province and we are pleased that we have been able to open the third Abimansala to salute soldiers of the South . The Abimansala built at Rs 240 million stands on 10 acres.”
The centre will facilitate totally disabled soldiers with equipment, not available in their homes. The centre has a physical therapy centre, ayurvedic treatment units, auditoriums and sports grounds and a 24 hour medical centre.
The centre was constructed on the directive and inspection of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Army Commander Lt Gen Jagath Balasuriya. President Rajapaksa who toured the facility distributed books among disabled soldiers.
The President also registered the first inmate of the Third Abimansala.

‘Body of wisdom’ on Standing Order violation by CJ

Published on: //

Standing Orders of Parliament do not permit the issuing of press statements via lawyers while impeachment proceedings are pending, say several lawyers including President’s Counsel, and parliamentarians who are lawyers.
They are of the opinion that the Chief Justice’s issuance of a denial of financial impropriety through the media at this point in time is smacking of contempt for procedure and parliamentary process.
The reasoning for this is that if the Select Committee process is held in camera, it of course follows that there should not be any pronouncements to the media as what has to be held in camera cannot obviously be pre-empted by a media circus involving the very persons who are actors in the Select Committee process.
Earlier a group or President’s Counsel made a statement in Hulftsdorph saying that parliamentary Standing Orders do not permit issuing statements to the media on any of the issues that are to be raised in Select Committee proceedings on impeachment.

CJ hearing cases, unethical, unconstitutional

Published on: Thursday, November 8, 2012 //

*Could add to weight of the case against her ...

* Undermines confidence in Judiciary
The embattled Chief Justice against whom an impeachment hearing is now pending before Parliament, continues hearing cases from the Supreme Court Bench _ and her hearing cases yesterday in Room 502 of the Supreme Court complex for instance, is in gross violation of all expectations of propriety, legal sources say.
The same sources say that her presiding over a Supreme Court Bench is against all tenets of natural justice, and is definitely ethically if not constitutionally wrong.
The relevant article in the constitution (107 (2))dealing with the tenure of Supreme Court judges states that such persons shall hold office in good behaviour, and certainly when there are serious charges made against the Chief Justice (see editorial) amounting to moral turpitude and conduct unbecoming of the office she holds, continuing to hear cases is also constitutionally wrong -- and could add one more charge to the list of impeachable offences, legal experts say.
The impeachment motion is already
in Parliament's order paper, but the fact that the Chief Justice has disregarded the impeachment proceedings and sought it fit to preside over a Supreme Court bench, could add to the weight of the charges against her in the impeachment hearings.
Among the serious charges contained against the Chief Justice, carried in full in yesterday's edition of this newspaper, are the charges of Rs 34 million worth in foreign currency undeclared, 19 currency accounts undeclared, and buying a house using a special power of attorney from Ceylinco regards which she was hearing a case. After notice is dispatched of the impeachment hearings in Parliament, the Chief Justice will anyway be required to refrain from being on the bench as per standing orders, but her continuing to hear cases when the charges against her have been made public undermine the confidence placed in the judiciary, legal sources say.

Come and witness our achievements

Published on: Monday, October 22, 2012 //
Lanka tells diaspora :
Chamikara WEERASINGHE
* ‘Move to deal with disinformation campaigns’
* ‘UPR to answer false allegations’
Sri Lanka has invited foreign media and influential persons belonging to the Tamil diaspora to come and see what is happening in the country, in a move to deal with disinformation campaigns that have been launched against the country by some sections of the Tamil diaspora, said External Affairs Ministry Secretary Karunathilaka Amunugama.
He said, fair - minded members of the diaspora are looking for an opportunity to observe the situation in the country. We have invited them to come and see for themselves the real situation, he said.
According to Amunugama, it is a small group of the diaspora with vested interests to divide the country, that has launched disinformation campaigns against Sri Lanka.
“They have disseminated false and misleading information to the world about Sri Lanka, such as, Sri Lankan military maintains tight control over Tamil public in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, military wields control over private lives of Tamil citizens, Internally Displaced Tamil citizens suffer immense hardships and no resettlement of IDPs in the North, to name a few. He said, all false accusations made against Sri Lanka will be answered and explained in detail during the forthcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process of the United Nations Human Rights Commission. UPR process on Sri Lanka is scheduled to be held in Geneva on the first of November.
Asked how the government will convey the country’s true position to the world outside the walls of the United Nation, Amunugama said they have launched several programs for foreign media and requested the members of Tamil diaspora to visit the country in this regard.
“We expect the arrival of at least 40 media personnel from across the globe to come to the country and experience for themselves the development and reconciliation that has taken place in the country since the cessation war.
“Print media personnel from countries, such as, Australia, Korea, USA and China will be invited to the country under this program.
The Cabinet recently approved the program,” said Amunugama.
“We have have taken steps to reach out to Tamil diaspora with an open invitation to visit the country. Although they live in foreign lands. They are people of Sri Lanka,” he explained.
He said , they should come and see how Sri Lanka has made progress in resettling those internally displaced persons and whether they live under peaceful conditions, he said.
“ These people are their kith and kin , sisters and brothers. We want to give them a chance to interact with them so that they will be of assistance to them and us,” he added.
“When they come they will get to know the real picture of the country with first hand experience, and get an idea about the level of disinformation being spread against the country by those elements with sinister agendas,” he pointed out.

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