News
SJB warns of move to privatise highwaysax
By Saman Indrajith
Giving state lands and projects to family members and relations was better than giving them to the Chinese, the SJB says.
SJB Kegalle District MP Kabir Hashim, opening the debate under the expenditure heads of the Ministry of Highways during the third reading debate on Budget 2021, said that the government was giving away state lands to Chinese investors.
“Isn’t handing over the lands to the Chinese on lease the first step towards privatisation? The decisions of the Highways Ministry are not taken by Minister Johnston Fernando or his Secretary R.W.R. Premasiri, but Secretary to the President, Dr P.B. Jayasundara.”
“Minister Johnston Fernando and his Secretary Premasiri are both talented persons. But their talent is not fully utilised. The Highways Ministry is very important. About one million people visit Colombo and 300,000 vehicles enter the city daily. Owing to traffic congestion, which leads to the waste of fuel and time we lose Rs. 1,000 million a day. Since I identified this problem we have launched several projects, including the New Kelani Bridge on pillars covering 2.5 km at a cost of Rs Rs. 40,000. The 9.5 km long outer circular highway connecting Kadawatha-Kerawalapitiya commenced after paying compensation to those who had lost lands to the project so the vehicles could now go from Mattala to Katunayake straight. We commenced a road on pillars from the Ingurukade junction via Chaithya Road to Galle Face.
“I think Minister Fernando is capable of continuing with the good work we initiated. Under the highways portfolio, there are 12,496 km. Some 34,000 km are under the Provincial Councils. There are 75,000 km of rural roads. Taken together there are roads measuring 120,000 km in the entire country. It is said that under your government all roads would be carpeted. This is something we have to wait and see. There are problems. All rural roads are under Minister Nimal Lanza. He has about 75,000 km under his purview. If we remove the roads under the Provincial Councils, the Minister Johnston will have only roads under the Road Development Authority and the Highways. There is a plan as per a Cabinet decision on Oct 12 to remove the Highways from Minister Johnston and be placed under a company headed by the Treasury Secretary. This is a joke. Both Secretary Premasiri and Minister Johnston Fernando are capable people. Then, why is this plan to set up a separate company? This is a plan with a hidden agenda. I table the Cabinet press briefing release. As per the press release the company to be set up would have the total responsibility of management of all highways. Although it is said that the said company is being set up under the Treasury, speculation is rife that a Singaporean company will be brought in and it will have 49 percent ownership and the Treasury 51 percent for 30 years. This is the first step towards privatising the highways. It is said that the lands coming under the Highways Ministry too would be given to them. What are those lands? The lands are those in and around Maradana, Beria Lake and the Manning Market. These will be finally given to the Chinese.
Prison Management and Prisoners Rehabilitation State Minister:
Lohan Ratwatte: You were the plantations minister once. Didn’t you give the lands of the Plantations Ministry to the kith and kin of yours?
MP Hashim:
It is better to give the lands to the family members and relatives than to the Chinese. Your government is giving state lands for 30 years to the Chinese.
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
