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Chief Govt. Whip urges Catholic priests to beware of Opposition’s sinister plans
Highway Minister and Chief Government Whip Johnston Fernando says some Opposition politicians have misled the Catholic Church. “I call on all reverend fathers and other members of the clergy not to fall for the opposition conspirators’ tactics and thereby become their cat’s paws. We have seen that they capitalise on the summoning of Rev Fr Cyril Gamini to the CID to spread hate against this government. Fr Cyril Gamini’s visit to CID was to record a statement. He made public statements and the CID wants an official record from him, Minister Fernando said.
He said so addressing a ceremony to mark the launch of the Road Development authority’s premix plant at Andigamawattte in Katugampola on Saturday.
“Rev Cyril Gamini had made statements on the Easter Sunday incidents. The CID is the investigating the Easter Sunday terror attacks and it is natural it has recorded a statement from the Reverend father. Suppose the CID did not do so, then the very same Opposition would have claimed we had prevented the CID from recording his statement.
“During the past two years we had never heard on any occasion the Opposition speaking of anything beneficial to the country. They never helped us reopen the country to enable foreign tourists so that the country would receive foreign exchange. They never spoke of promoting agriculture or industries to help the economy. They never spoke of assisting the government to overcome the challenges of the pandemic. Opposition parties in other countries have extended their support to the governments to face the pandemic and its challenges. We too had such oppositions in this country in the past. In the 1971 insurgency, the then opposition leader JR Jayewardene supported Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s government.
Minister Fernando said that he was thankful to the Chairman and staff members of the RDA for commencing operations at the new premix asphalt plant. “When I visited the premix asphalt plant at Ganepola in January this year, there were heaps of machinery to be auctioned as scrap iron. They had been lying abandoned for years. After inquiries I found that those parts of equipment and machinery left at the mercy of the elements, could be repaired and put back to use. Some workers said that they could repair them. They did so within a couple of months. They spent Rs 28 million to build a premix asphalt plant worth Rs 152 million. Today we opened this new plant with equipment put back to use by our workers. This plant has the capacity to turn out 4,000 metric tons of premix asphalt per month. That means it could supply 48,000 metric tons of premix asphalt per year to our projects in order to complete the 100,000 km road development project envisaged by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in his Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour manifesto,” the Minister said.
Also present on the occasion were Secretary to the Ministry of Highways RWR Premsiri, RDA Working Director Chaminda Basnayake and Executive Director Mohomad Zakir.
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
