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Govt. has lost control of country – SJB
By Saman Indrajith
The Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) says the government has given up the fight against the pandemic and was leaving the infected persons to their fate.
Addressing the media at the Opposition Leader’s office in Colombo, Chief Opposition Whip and Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella said: “It is clear that the government has given up its fight against the pandemic. The number of infections is increasing rapidly, but the government does not care to conduct enough tests. It imposed laws limiting the number of participants for weddings, funerals and religious ceremonies and it violates them by holding political meeting. For example the number of persons allowed for a wedding is 50 but the ministers attending political meetings attended by minsiters are allowed to have over crowds of over 500.The leading ministers are conducting a series of events in provinces under the title Gama Samaga Pilisandarak (Dialogue with the Village). Its Matara event was attended by over 500 persons. On Dec 17 the Kandy District event was held at Polgolla with the participation of all heads of public institutions, police officers, Pradeshiya Sabha members, heads of department, and they were hosted to a lunch. Later, an infected Pradeshiya Sabha chairman was found to have attended that event. Now, all leading public officials in the district are under quarantine.
“Two months ago there was no COVID-19 cases in the Kandy District. But the government put COVID-19 infected persons in the Bomgambara Prison. Today Kandy is the district from where the second most number of cases has been reported. Many institutions in the city have been shut down. The Governor’s Office, provincial and zonal education offices are all closed. But the Gama Samaga Pilisandarak event was held with the participation of over 500 persons. This shows that the government has given up its anti-COVID-19 campaign.
“There is still no final decision with regard to the burial of Muslim COVID-19 victims. The government is quite capable for taking the internal problem to the international level. It conducted secret talks with the Maldives to see whether it could find places there to bury Lankan Muslims dying from COVID-19. The secret came out after the government of the Maldives made a statement that the Sri Lankan government had made a request to the effect. It is a shameful act to try to bury our citizens in a foreign country. The government should solve this problem urgently.
“The government has also lost control over the country as well. It has failed to control the prices of essential commodities. There were some shortcomings in the yahapalana government, but we never lost the control over prices of essential items. We had a committee on cost of living affairs and it met fortnightly to keep the prices under control. Today, there is no such control of prices and the consumers are at the mercy of traders.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mano Ganesan also addressed the media.
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
