News
Colombo Uni. Muttiah Road Hostel to make way for ‘green patch’ in Slave Island
UDA awaits Cabinet approval for acquisition
by SURESH PERERA
Amidst protests by the Arts Faculty Teachers’ Association, the Colombo University’s Muttiah Road Hostel for Women and Differently-abled Students, is expected to be acquired to covert the area into what a senior Urban Development Authority (UDA) official described as a “green patch”.
“We have already submitted a proposal to the Cabinet to take over the 2.5 acre land, where the Muttiah Road hostel is situated, in terms of our plans to carve out a ‘green zone’ in Slave Island”, says UDA Director-General, N. P. K. Ranaweera.
Any form of development such as the construction of buildings will not be permitted within the area as what is envisaged is to create a ‘green patch’ encompassing the Beira Lake, the land where the hostel now stands and the Muttiah playground, he noted.
The prime property in question belongs to the government and was given to the Colombo University for hostel accommodation, a senior UDA official in charge of the subject, said.
“There was no payment involved as the Colombo University is also a government institution”, he clarified.
Expressing concern over the move to ‘seize’ the property, the Arts Faculty Teachers’ Association – Colombo University (AFTA-CU), the official trade union of the Faculty of Arts, in a letter to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, said the Muttiah Road complex houses more than 550 female students, including differently-abled students, most of whom are from the Faculty of Arts.
As one of the eight permanent hostels of the University of Colombo, its convenient location, capacity to accommodate a considerable number of students, close proximity to the faculty and the safety of the locale makes it an ideal place of residence for students, the AFTA-CU outlined.
“We have already earmarked a two-acre land at Orugodawatte to build a new hostel for the students”, the Director-General said.
On the aspect of convenience as Muttiah Road is centrally located within the city for the students to travel to university, he remarked, “Orugodawatte is not far away for them to travel to Colombo. In many countries, students travel around 15 kilometres to attend campus. In developed countries, most of them cycle the distance”.
The new Orugodawatte hostel plan was endorsed by the University Grants Commission (UGC), Ranaweera continued. “We are awaiting Cabinet approval to go ahead with implementing the project”.
The hostel has also been recently renovated by the University of Colombo to provide better access to the differently-abled students. The hostel facilities serve the neediest students from rural areas and are a vital resource that ensures their uninterrupted education, the AFTA-CU further said in its letter to the premier.
The University of Colombo does not have adequate hostels and is in the process of enhancing the facilities. In light of the government’s plans to increase the annual intake of students to all state universities, this move that will result in curtailing the limited resources available to the university seems counter-intuitive, it said.
Any move to ‘seize’ the property immediately, will not only deprive the needy students of a chance to better education but also endangers their safety amidst the pandemic which makes finding alternative housing nearly impossible, it added.
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
