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Million trees to reduce pollution on highways
One million moodilla saplings would be planted on either side of roads to minimize carbon footprint and to manage emissions, Chief Government Whip and Highways Minister Johnston Fernando said last Friday.
Speaking to journalists after launching the sapling planting project along the Marine Drive from Wellawatte to the Dehiwela section under the one million trees green project of the Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour programme, the Minister said that the tree planting project in addition to helping minimise the carbon footprint, would provide shade and shelter to pedestrians. “Out target is to plant one million saplings along the roadside. Around 300,000 saplings are already ready in nurseries belonging to the Road Development Authority. Our development projects have been designed to ensure the protection of the environment so that they would be in line with the visions of sustainable development goals. The Opposition has been clamouring during recent times accusing our government of engaging in a countrywide tree felling spree. We are not worried about their false propaganda. We continue with our development process so that within a couple more months people will see the results. Within 24 hours of the President assuming duties of office after his winning of the election, he commenced a project of cleaning the environs and he set up an environmental police unit. Within a couple of days of the victory at the presidential election, all waste and garbage that had not been cleared were cleaned up. People may recall how the Yahapalana regime could not even clean the garbage and waste during the last half of their government. Now it is they who come and give us instructions on how to run the economy,” the Minister said.
Minister Fernando said that the project to plant one million saplings along the roads was being carried out with the assistance of private sector institutions. The sapling planting project along Marine Drive is assisted by the NDB Bank.
Responding to a query by journalists on the speculations related to Basil Rajapaksa being sworn in as an MP soon, the Minister said: “The story of Basil Rajapaksa becoming an MP started from the day the last general election was won by the SLPP. Yet he did not come to Parliament. That is why this question is being raised repeatedly. Everybody is waiting to see if he becomes an MP.”
Asked to comment on the presidential pardon given to Duminda Silva, the Minister said: “It is my personal opinion that justice has been done. We all know that not only Duminda Silva but many other persons had been incarcerated during the Yahapalana misrule just because they were from our party. We all have heard the leaked audio tapes on how Shani Abeyesekera and others had manufactured evidence and manipulated the court process to put Duminda Silva behind bars. In addition, there was a Presidential Commission of Inquiry on political victimization where evidence came out on how selective justice had been dispensed against our party members and supporters. Justice had been suppressed by the political powers during the time of the former government. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has rectified an injustice. There are many more still languishing behind bars. Public sector officials, members of the Maha Sangha, members of tri-forces and police intelligence units, artistes, etc., had been victimized politically during the times of the last government. We hope that justice would be done to them too. It is because of that conduct of the Yahapalana government that the people of this country voted us in and gave us two-thirds of the power. The President did the right thing and we stand by with him.”
Responding to a question on fuel price hikes, the Minister said: There are various statements by various parties. Let’s see what will happen in the coming days. Anyone is free to express his or her opinions. Even parties within our government are making different statements. But you have to remember that we are moving to a specific target. The government has not yet made a statement saying that the fuel prices will go down. A government cannot make such statements in advance because it would result in unfavourable consequences in the market. The businessmen may hoard supplies or fleece the consumers.”
Among those present were Secretary to the Ministry of Highways Ranjith Pemasiri, Secretary to the Ministry of Rural Roads and Other Infrastructure Ranjith Dissanayake, Director and Group Executive Officer of the NDB, Dimantha Senaratne, Director Assets Management and Revenue Rasangani Paranagama 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.
