News

Cabinet approves food security committee

Published

7 months ago

December 11, 2024

editor

Ensuring national food and nutrition security and providing safe access to food are among the government’s top priorities. In line with this, the Cabinet has approved a proposal by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to establish a Food Policy and Security Committee under the Presidential Secretariat.

The committee aims to provide every citizen with their minimum food requirements in sufficient quantity and quality at an affordable price.
According to the new government policy statement, the Food Policy and Security Committee will focus on the following key objectives:

• Promoting domestic production of all food items that can be produced locally.
• Maintaining a reserve stock of essential food sufficient for at least three months.
• Establishing and maintaining a comprehensive data system on existing food stocks in the country.
• Developing and implementing effective programs to enhance food security by ensuring efficient production, storage, distribution, wholesale, and retail marketing processes, with active participation from the private sector.

These priorities define the committee’s primary tasks to ensure food security and sustainability in the country.

Accordingly, to ensure food security and nutrition, a committee will be established under the co-chairmanship of the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands, and Irrigation, and the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Cooperative Development.

This committee will comprise the Secretary to the Prime Minister and relevant ministry secretaries. Its primary function will be to provide policy guidance based on scientific analysis, leveraging data and information with the active participation of all related institutions.

(President’s Media Division)

News

Court summons ex-AGM of People’s bank over major fraud

Published

40 minutes ago

July 3, 2025

editor

The Attorney General has filed a case against one Vithanage Don Dayananda, a former Assistant General Manager (AGM) at People’s Bank head office, for allegedly preparing and using a forged document related to a Rs.2,000 million personal guarantee bond.

Colombo High Court Judge Lanka Jayaratne has fixed the case (HC 39/2019) for trial on October 30. When the case was called on July 01, the accused had appeared in court.

It is alleged that around June 01, 2006, in Colombo, the accused knowingly prepared a forged document purporting to show that a personal guarantee bond, allegedly signed and dated July 27, 1995, by directors of Yashoda Holdings (Pvt) Ltd.had been submitted to the bank’s head office.

Despite being well aware that the document was a forged one, he had allegedly presented it as genuine evidence during the Commercial High Court Case No. 122/2004.

Therefore, the Attorney General has charged him under Section 459 of the Penal Code.

Related News :

Court orders CID to probe Rs.90 mn. fraud at People’s Bank

News

2nd round of Grade 06 admission appeals open online today

Published

1 hour ago

July 3, 2025

editor

The Ministry of Education has announced that online appeals for the second round of Grade 06 admissions in 2025, based on the 2024 Grade 05 Scholarship Examination results, can be submitted from today (July 03) until July 17.

Parents or guardians can submit appeals for up to three schools by visiting the official website of the Ministry of Education at www.moe.gov.lk or directly via the extension at g6application.moe.gov.lk.

News

Several showers expected today

Published

2 hours ago

July 3, 2025

editor

Several spells of showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Nuwara-Eliya, Kandy, Galle and Matara districts today (July 03), the Department of Meteorology said.

Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva province and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts during the afternoon or night.

Meanwhile, fairly strong winds of about 30-40 kmph can be expected at times over Western slopes of the central hills and in Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Trincomalee and Hambantota districts.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.