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Johnston centre-closes new extradosed bridge over Kelani river
In 2014, the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his capacity as the Minister of Highways had initiated the New Kelani Bridge project and signed for the plans and the approval, Minister of Highways Johnston Fernando said, following the centre-closure of the new Kelani Bridge, which is an engineering design known as extradosed type, which uses stay cables to connect two main pylons with the bridge deck and to share weight of the loads from the bridge deck.
In his recent address to the nation, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa mentioned that we would complete this project soon, said Minister Fernando, adding that the former Highways Minister of the Yahapalana government had claimed that it was a project that had been commenced by the previous administration. “The truth is that the highest number of mega development projects in this country commenced under the visionary leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He deserves the credit for that. Others cannot take the credit because people know the truth. I still can remember how President Rajapaksa started the Outer Circle Highway Project. Later, the ministers of the yahapalana government tried to get credit for that and were planning to open a section of it but a woman opened it.
“We are going to complete the work of this new Kelani Bridge within three months and hope that it could be commissioned in the first week of September. At a time when the entire world is battling the COVID-19 pandemic, engineers of Japan and this country with other officials rendered a yeoman service to make this project a success. They took an enormous risk by doing so. This grateful nation will never forget their dedication and in the years to come people will talk of their dedication.
“We would not suspend any development project because of difficulties or the pandemic. One of the biggest mistakes committed by the yahapalana government was trying to take credit for development projects initiated by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. They suspended some projects citing various reasons because they had no capacity nor caliber to carry on such mega development projects that had been envisioned for the use of the people for the next century. The first such project that they had stopped was the Port City Development project. This project too had been delayed citing various reasons. Otherwise this would have been completed by this time and people would have been using this bridge.
“Some Opposition members blame us, claiming that we could work only with China. We work not only with China but also with Japan and the UK. We are working with many nations other than China and this bridge came into being with the assistance of Japanese engineering technology as an example for that. Various countries have come forward to assist our development process and invest here. Those who criticize us have only a single objective of sabotaging our work. People would not fall for their trap.
“We are a government that will not hesitate to act for the sake of the development of this country. We are not afraid of critics. We are not afraid of Opposition tactics. None with an iota of intelligence would participate in protests or lead their people to protests at a time like this knowing it’s dangerous to expose them to the pandemic. Unfortunately, we have Opposition politicians who do so. Those who predicted that at least one or two thousand people will die here of COVID-19 finally got infected. We call on them not to put the lives of people in harm’s way to achieve their political objectives. You will never be able to escape from the curse of the people by using them as a cat’s paw to cover up their political bankruptcy.
Saturday’s event – the centre-closure of the extra dozed bridge marks the conclusion of the concrete casting of the new bridge.
With the opening of the new Kelani Bridge, the Colombo-Katunayake expressway would connect the capital to the country’s main international airport with a six-lane road and further link the elevated highway to Aturugiriya and the port-elevated highway to the Port City. The new bridge is 380 meters long and has been constructed in two phases – the first phase covering the steel construction of the bridge has cost Rs 31,539 million while cost of the second phase of casting concrete deck of the bridge is Rs 9,896 million.
Among those present were Rural Roads and Other Infrastructure State Minister Nimal Lanza, Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Sri Lanka, Yamada Tetsuya, Secretary to the Ministry of Highways RWR Pemasiri, Secretary to the Ministry of Rural Roads and Other Infrastructure Prof Ranjtih Dissanayake, Chairman of RDA, Chaminda Athuluwage, Working Director Chaminda Basnayake, Director General of RDA Sardha Weerakoon, Project Director Darshika Jayasekera and other officials.
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
