News

Postal workers’ leave, cancelled ; N’Eliya post office to Taj Samudra?

Published

2 years ago

November 7, 2023

editor

The Department of Posts has taken steps to cancel all the leave of its employees, ahead of a planned strike by postal workers.

Postmaster General Ruwan Sathkumara stated that the leave of all postal staff will be cancelled on November 08, 09 and 10 with immediate effect.

It was earlier reported that postal workers had decided to resort to a 48-hour strike, as a mark of protest against the government’s decision to convert the Nuwara Eliya Post Office into a hotel.

N’Eliya post office to Taj Samudra?

Speaking at the weekly cabinet briefing held earlier today (07), Cabinet spokesman – Minister Bandula Gunawardena stated that as the subject minister, he completely agreed with the President over the conversion of the building.

The Minister pointed out that the Nuwara Eliya post office was in a very dilapidated state and the Government is unable to afford renovations or maintenance and a proposal has been handed over to the President to convert this ‘underutilized asset’ to a more effective one.

If you go now to visit the Nuwara Eliya post office, buckets have been placed in places where water leaks in, the minister said.

Mentioning the Taj Samudra Hotel chain, the minister said that a proposal in this regard had been submitted to President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Especially Indians are drawn to the area through ‘Sita Eliya’ and by constructing one of their hotels, it could elevate the living conditions of the resident locals while increasing their income and job opportunities, the minister said.

Therefore, as the subject minister, I fully agree to move the post office elsewhere and provide the location to this project, he added.

Related News :

Postal workers to go on 48-hr. strike

News

Worker remittances up by nearly 18% in May

Published

3 minutes ago

July 1, 2025

editor

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) reports a 17.9% increase in foreign worker remittances for May 2025, bringing total remittances for the January–May period to US$ 3.1 billion.

Tourism earnings for May are estimated at US$ 164 million, contributing to a cumulative total of US$ 1.5 billion over the past year—highlighting a steady recovery in the tourism sector.

In terms of imports, US$ 118 million was spent on vehicle imports in May, with a total of US$ 312 million recorded from January to May 2025.

Sri Lanka’s gross official reserves remain stable at US$ 6.3 billion, maintaining the same level as in April.

On the domestic front, construction activity rebounded in May after a slowdown in April due to the festive season. The Sri Lanka Buyers Index rose to 59.7 points, signaling increased activity—especially in road development, which saw a notable rise in new project awards.

(dailynews.lk)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by dailynews.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

Entertainment

Sri Lanka’s first Hollywood starlet bids adieu

Published

12 minutes ago

July 1, 2025

editor

Maureen Nelia Ballardney Hingert, Sri Lanka’s first beauty queen to act in Hollywood, has passed away at the age of 88.

The news was announced by former Miss Sri Lanka and actress Angela Seneviratne via Facebook.

Maureen made history by winning the Miss Ceylon title in 1955 and went on to represent the country at the Miss Universe pageant, where she was crowned second runner-up – a milestone achievement at the time.

Following her success, she entered the film industry and starred in several Hollywood productions. In 1958, she appeared in the film Gun Fever, and a photograph from the movie shoot was later published in Playboy magazine in September 1957 – making her the first and only Sri Lankan woman to be featured in the magazine.

She signed with major studios like 20th Century Fox and Universal International Studios, and her filmography includes titles such as The King and I, Fort Bowie, The Rawhide Trail, Gunman from Laredo, Pillars of the Sky, and The Adventures of Hiram Holiday, among others.

During her peak, she was regarded as one of the most beautiful actresses in Hollywood.

Maureen married Marion Zamperelli in 1958, later separating in 1970, and married William J. Ballard in 1976.

She had two children, and after the tragic passing of her daughter due to cancer, Maureen chose to live a private life away from the public eye in Los Angeles, where she remained until her death.