Services have been organized in many churches across the country today (21) in memoriam of the victims of the Easter Sunday attack of 2019.
A total of 269 people lost their lives in suicide attacks at seven venues including hotels, restaurants and three churches, while Catholics were celebrating Easter Sunday in 2019. Several others became disabled.
It is heartbreaking that even though it has been four years since the Easter attacks, the law has not yet been properly implemented against those responsible.
Father Jude Krishantha Fernando, the National Director of Public Communication of the Colombo Archdiocese, said that a human chain protest (Jana Paura) will be created on both sides of the Negombo-Colombo Road this morning supporting the Church’s quest for truth and justice over the attacks.
Meanwhile, it was reported that the march which commenced from St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya is now reaching St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade to mark the 4th anniversary of the Easter Sunday attack.
The National Transport Commission (NTC) has said that an investigation into the recent incident where a student fell from the footboard of a ‘Sisu Sariya’ school bus, has revealed that the accident had resulted from the careless and negligent behaviour of both the driver and the conductor.
Issuing a statement, the NTC noted that, based on the preliminary findings, the Road Passenger Transport Authority of the North Western Province has taken steps to temporarily suspend the services of the driver and conductor involved.
Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation – K.D. Lal Kantha has announced that the government has decided to import 300,000 MT of maize.
Speaking to the media after attending a District Development Committee meeting at the Kandy District Secretariat yesterday (July 03), the Minister explained that this decision was taken to prevent traders from artificially inflating maize prices.
He stated that certain large and medium-scale businesses dealing with animal feed have been hoarding maize, buying it from farmers at fair prices and reselling it at much higher rates.
According to the Minister, these traders were trying to push maize prices up to Rs.190-200 per kilogram, which would have driven up the cost of eggs to Rs.200 each and increased meat prices significantly.
The Minister emphasized that while businesses are entitled to make a profit, the government will not allow unfair price manipulation. He also noted that, in the past, even ministers profited from animal products, but those days have ended and racketeers will not be allowed to control the market.
To prevent excessive price drops that could hurt farmers, the Food Security Committee has proposed imposing a tax on imported maize, he said.
