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Rape of Sinharaja continues: Racketeers in a hurry to grab forest land – Environmentalist
Illicit felling and unauthorised ‘development’ activities around the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, following the expansion of the Lankagama Road last year were now widespread, Sajeewa Chamikara of Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR) said yesterday.
Chamikara said that 85 acres in the Rosemary area at Pannila Forest situated at 231- C Rakwana – South Grama Niladari Division of the Godakawela Divisional Secretariat were being cleared and a group of individuals were clearing up 143 acres of forest land, adjoining the Delgoda Reserve situated at Suduwelipatha Village, in the Kalawana Divisional Secretariat area.
Chamikara said that those who were clearing up 143 acres of forest land were using false deeds to carry out illegal activities.
“We revealed earlier that two businessmen were clearing the Botiyatenna Elephant Corridor at Manikkawatta to construct hotels. Now, the residents of Rambuka, Thanawela, Ellagama, Handiyekade, Kajugaswatte, Pothupitiya, Kopikella and Cypresswatte villages will come under jumbo attacks as the two remaining Sinharaja elephants maraud these villages. They are likely to lose their properties and even their lives due to the hotels constructed by obstructing the elephant corridors.”
Chamikra said those were only a few incidents of clearing forest land adjoining the Sinharaja Forest Reserve by those with political power and financial might.
Most of the forest areas surrounding the Sinharaja had been earmarked to be amalgamated with the forest reserve because they were an important part of the forest network. The unscrupulous businessmen and politicians were attempting to carve out as much land as possible before those areas received the protected status, the environmentalist said.
“One of the main reasons for the increase in illegal activities in forest areas adjoining Sinharaja can be traced to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa encouraging ‘farmers’ to expand their farms into protected forest areas during his ‘Gama Samaga Pilisandara’ (Discussion with villagers) programme. During this programme he also instructed officials to change the borders of these reserves and allow farming to take place inside protected areas.”
The environmentalist also said that another reason for the spike in deforestation and illegal development initiatives was the non-implementation of a Cabinet decision on Sinharaja in 2004.
“Cabinet Paper (PS/CS/26/2004 of 22 July 2004) proposed to allow the Forest Department to acquire forests, most of which belonged to the Land Reform Commission (LRC), within the radius of 500 metres from the Sinharaja boundary. The Cabinet Paper also proposed that those lands should be acquired under Section 22 (1) F and 44 A of the Land Reform Law of 1972 after paying compensation. The Cabinet approved the proposals, but the relevant documents have been at the Ministry of Environment for decades without any action being taken on them. If these proposals had been implemented, businessmen and politicians would not have been able to grab large swathes of ecologically sensitive land adjoining the Sinharaja Forest.”
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
