News
MP Pathirana reveals ruse resorted to by unscrupulous businessmen to grab forest lands
By Saman Indrajith
Matara District SJB MP Buddhika Pathirana told parliament yesterday that unscrupulous businessmen had found a way to dupe officials by clearing patches in the middle of the jungle to plant tea and wait for a couple of years to clear the surrounding areas in the jungle.
“When the officials commence investigations, they claim their tea plantations have been there for a long time,” MP Pathirana said, asking government to probe such incidents and take action to protect the forest cover.
Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera said that he would look into the matter and admitted that continuous increase of population and some human activities had resulted in the shrinking of forest cover in the country.
Asked whether he would admit that the North Central Province had already been reduced to semi-arid area, the Minister said that not only the NCP but many other provinces in the dry zone of the country had suffered from a long-drawn out drought between 2015 and 2018, but the NCP had not become a semi-arid are.
Minister Amaraweera said some regions in the country were affected by natural disasters such as floods, drought, landslides etc., all the time due to ill-effects of climate change.
Asked whether steps would be taken to develop national policies for environment conservation, Minister Amaraweera said that there were already many national policies in that regard as follows: National Environment Policy (2003), National Policy on Wetlands and the Conservation Strategies (2006), National Air Quality Management Policy (2000), National Climate Change Policy (2012), National Policy on Wildlife Conservation (1990), National Policy on Invasive Alien Species (2016), National Forestry Policy (1995), National Policy on Solid Waste Management (2007), National Waste Management Policy (2018), National Policy on Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Mangrove Ecosystems 2019, National Policy and Strategy for Cleaner Production 2005, National Policy on Biosafety (2011) and National Policy on Sustainable Consumption & Production (2019).
MP Pathirana said that former President Maithripala Sirisena soon before his leaving the office had signed a gazette to expand the Sinharaja forest by three times its present size, but the government had taken one year to publish it. “Subsequent, to this I saw a Facebook post by former President Sirisena that he signed 55 more such gazettes but they had not been published yet. When will those gazettes come out? Why is the government delaying them if the government is so concerned about the environment?”
Minister Amaraweera said that those gazettes would be printed in due course.
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
