News

50 undergrads found positive for HIV!

Published

8 months ago

October 26, 2022

editor

About 50 undergraduates have been infected with HIV in the first nine months of 2020, Dr. Rasanjali Hettiarachchi, Director of the National STD/AIDS Control Programme said.

The total number of HIV positive people detected this year is 342 including four school children and two Buddhist monks.

Dr. Hettiarachchi said the number of people infected with the virus has doubled compared to last year.

The first HIV positive case in the country was detected in 1987. Dr. Hettiarachchi said that about 20 members of clergy including monks and priests of other religions were among the infected people reported so far.

She said 4,404 infected people have been reported since 1987 out of which about 1,000 have died and about 2,300 people are seeking treatment. However, according to estimates, about 3,700 more infected people need to receive medical treatment.

She said about 1,500 HIV infected people are unaware that they have contracted the virus and many people who have unprotected sex with them can contract the virus.

Dr.Hettiarachchi said that such infections can be prevented by talking openly about sex related matters with children.

She also said that the parents and guardians should pay more attention to the youth.

News

CMC’s receivable income exceeds Rs.6,200mn in 2022!

Published

30 mins ago

June 9, 2023

editor

The receivable income of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) for the year 2022 was Rs.6,280.50 million, it was revealed during the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) meeting.

This was revealed when the COPA met in Parliament on June 06 under the chairmanship of State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna to examine the Auditor General’s reports and current performance of the Colombo Municipal Council for the years 2020/2021.

The CMC’s total receivable income of the year 2021 is Rs.5,835.6 million, Rs.5,386.4 million in 2022 and Rs.4,481.5 million in 2019. It was found that these arrears are in the form of assessment tax, rent and other taxes.

Accordingly, the officials who were present pointed out that they are making arrangements to acquire the properties where the taxes are in arrears.

They said that there are issues related to the identification of the owners of certain properties, and that there is also a shortage of CMC officials available to look into these matters.

The COPA member MPs pointed out that assessment numbers have been given for unauthorized constructions as well.

Accordingly, the committee recommended that a programme should be prepared with specific dates to recover the arrears and a full report should be submitted to the COPA by July 06, 2023.

It was also revealed that the private companies contracted to collect parking fees have continued to default on the monthly rent due to the CMC and the amount of arrears to be collected from 38 companies as at December 31, 2021, was Rs. 265 million.

BIZ

Parliament SOC recommends not to privatise SLT

Published

40 mins ago

June 9, 2023

editor

The Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on National Security has said that it does not recommend the privatisation of Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT).

This was stated in a report issued by the SOC on National Security headed by MP Sarath Weerasekera.

The report said that matters sensitive to national security can be exposed through the privatisation of SLT.

News

Fonseka resigns from SOC on National Security

Published

42 mins ago

June 9, 2023

editor

Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka has resigned from the Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on National Security, Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapakshe announced in Parliament today (09).

He said MP Rauff Hakeem has been appointed to the vacant position instead.