News
10,000 hectares to come under maize cultivation in Mahaweli Zones
Abandoned lands to be reacquired
State Minister of Mahaweli Zone, Canals, and Settlement Infrastructure Development, Siripala Gamlath, unveiled plans to cultivate 10,000 hectares of maize in Mahaweli Zones under the national food cultivation program ‘Vision of Prosperity’ launched by the President and the Prime Minister.
He said the government has taken a policy decision to suspend the import of non-essential food items. In this backdrop, moves are already underway to grow different varieties of food, including maize for which 10,000 hectares of land have been earmarked in the Mahaweli Zone.
The State Minister was addressing a group of representatives from farmer organizations in Mahaweli B Zone and some investors at a meeting to discuss prevailing issues, in Manampitiya, Polonnaruwa, last week.
“The annual demand for maize in the country is 500,000 metric tons. Of this, 250,000 metric tons are produced locally and my Ministry expects to supply 10% of the demand through the Mahaweli Zone. The balance has to be imported at a cost of Rs. 3 billion”, Gamlath noted.
The State Minister also participated in an inspection tour to review the progress of lands leased to large-scale investors in Welikanda, Aselapura, Ellewewa, Sinhapura and Punani in the Mahaweli B Zone.
During the inspection, it came to light that certain investors had not shown any interest in the projects. It was observed that these investors, who had obtained lands from the government for various agri-business projects, had abandoned them. This resulted in the lands remaining idle for years.
At this juncture, the State Minister directed the Director-General of the Mahaweli Authority, Sunil S. Perera to take over such lands.
He advised the Director-General to introduce a system to utilize the abandoned lands for productive purposes such as leasing them for cultivation to suitable investors or farmers.
It was also observed that certain investors have made the lease payments merely to hold on to the ownership but not put their lands into proper use. Certain investors have used only about 10% of the total land they obtained under the lease agreement.
The State Minister also noted with appreciation the investors who have fully utilized the lands they had obtained for projects.
Saying that abandoning Mahaweli lands in this manner is a waste of public property, Gamlath instructed the officers to properly scrutinize the projects in advance and allocate lands only to prospective investors in the future.
Mahaweli Authority Director-General Sunil S. Perera said that action has been taken to re-acquire 120 plots of land from a group of investors who failed to embark on viable projects or go in for any development activity so far.
He further said that 50 such blocks of land have already been allocated to different investors to begin development projects.
According to the Mahaweli Authority, 15,000 acres have been leased out to investors, farmer organizations and 806 other individuals for agricultural projects.
Deputy Director-General of the Mahaweli Authority, Engineer P. G. Gunapala, Director of Mahaweli Agriculture, B. Neville Rajapaksa, Mahaweli Project Development Director, Wasanthi Senevirathna, Mahaweli Livestock Resources Director, Thamara Priyadarshani, Director – Land, Asanka Gunasekera, Director – Land Use, Indika Jayawardana, Mahaweli B Zone Residential Project Manager, Sugath Weerasinghe, Mahaweli C Zone Residential Project Manager, Noel Jayasiri and several other officials also participated.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
