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Opposition propagating lies to derail govt’s development drive – Johnny
Those who had once fooled the people with lies such as golden horses and Lamborghinis owned by the Rajapaksas and spread rumours about their non-existing properties and assets now were again working hard to make people believe that there was unprecedented destruction of the environment, says Chief Government Whip Highways Minister Johnston Fernando.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Vari Saubhaagya project with the renovation and dredging of the Mahawewa at Pinnapolegama in Nikaweratiya recently, the Minister said that the JVP and SJB had their activists and so-called environmentalists working overtime publishing social media posts of a government sponsored forest clearing spree.
“Some of them have taken pictures of forests cleared in foreign countries from the internet and edited and put them up on Facebook to mislead the public. This shows their political bankruptcy. “Soon before the 2015 presidential election, they propagated lies and got some people to believe wild allegations such as golden horses, expensive cars, hotels and acres of lands belonging to the Rajapaksas. Some people seemed to have accepted their lies about Rajapaksas owning hotels, resorts and lands. That would not happen again. If the SJB and JVP liars think that people would fall again for their lies, then they are mistaken. When we built the Lankagama road they clamoured from their rooftops that we were felling trees in the rain forest. Then we pointed out that there was not a single tree felled under that project. Thereafter, there was an uproar calling for a crudia zeylanica tree ; they claimed it was the one and only such tree in the entire world. That show came to an end when people found that there are many other such trees in this country.”
Fernando said that the incumbent government had been formed with the votes of the people who had been promised a developed country in return for their votes. “We are bound to develop this country. It is as a part of those development projects we construct roads. According to the SJB and JVP the purpose of constructing roads is not providing people with means of access and of transporting their produce to the market but to cut the trees and damage the environment. We develop this country while conserving the environment. Today, we started a project to plant 75,000 saplings along the expressways in the country. This is in addition to 100,000 saplings to be planted along the roads coming under the purview of the Ministry of Highways.”
He said that times and people’s needs had changed and the government had to work in line with the aspirations of the people today and not as per the archaic regulations in the gazettes issued in the 1800s. “We have to update ourselves as per the needs of the time we are living in. Provisions of the old gazettes would no longer suit the situation prevailing now. We must do away with them when those regulations no longer serve the purposes or stand as stumbling blocks on our way to develop this country for the betterment of people’s lives of people.”
The Minister said that the yahapalana government had imposed Rs 1,000 tax on a cube of metal and it would be removed soon so that the metal crushers of the quarries in Anuradhapura and Kurunegala districts would benefit.
Minister Fernando said the government would not allow its development drive to be derailed by the Opposition and various outfits pretending to be environmental groups.
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
