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Minister Johnston assures Malwatte prelate that Central Expressway will be completed by 2024
Chief Government Whip and Highways Minister Johnston Fernando on Sunday vowed to complete the construction of the Central Expressway from Colombo to Kandy by 2024.
The Minister gave this pledge in response to a request made by Anunayake of Malwatte Chapter Ven. Dimbulkumbure Wimaladhamma Nayake Thera during a ceremony held in Kurunegala to hand over the Upapradhana Sanghanayake of the Satkorala Mahadisave and Dharmakeerthi title to Chief Incumbent of the Sri Nandarama in Thoradeniya Ven. Denike Sirinivasa Ananda Thera.
The Anunayake Thera requested the minister to complete the expressway construction as it was the former’s wish to see people from Colombo to Kandy could traverse easily in the expressway to worship the Dalada Maligawa. “I traveled to Matara yesterday and I could come to Kadawatha within two hours thanks to the Southern Expressway. When we travel from Colombo to Kandy it would take more than four hours. Vehicles in Colombo-Kandy road cannot overtake one another because the road is so narrow in most places. The ministers from the Central Province did nothing to solve this problem. Kandy is the second main city of this country but people cannot come there without hindrance and difficulty because the governments could not complete the expressway to Kandy. I am 81 years old now and it is my wish to see people coming to worship the Dalada Maligawa using the Central Expressway,” Wimaladhamma Nayake Thera said.
Minister Fernando pledged to complete the construction work of the Central Expressway by 2024. “The foundation stone for the expressway was laid by the fifth executive president Mahinda Rajapaksa in November 2014 and work started in Galagedara, Kurunegala and Dambulla. Following his election loss, the yahapalana government came to power and stopped all the work. They canceled the projects. The cancellations were due to political reasons because they did not want to give credit to our work. If there was no government change in 2015, the work of the Central Expressway could have been completed in 2018. After canceling the projects, the yahapalana started to work on the expressway in 2017 but they could not pay the contractors. At the time we came to power there were arrears to contractors to the tune of Rs 36 billion. That amount was paid within 60 days after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa assumed duties. We could open the road from Mirigama to Kurunegala. There were cases against it but we could complete and open it for the public use. We commenced the work on the section from Pothuhera to Rambukkana under direct contracting system. Some Opposition members recently raised baseless allegations of massive corruption running to billions of rupees in building the Central expressway. Their target is to derail our work. I responded to those allegations and it is our hope to commence the work of the final 20 kilometers of the expressway to Kandy soon. We hope we can sign the agreements with construction companies within two weeks,” the Minister said.
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
