The Transport and Highways Ministry has expressed their displeasure over the sudden train strike launched by the Sri Lanka Railways Station Masters’ Union (SLRSMU).

A communiqué by the Ministry states that the strike was launched based on two demands – promoting Station Masters every 05 years and halting measures for new recruitments.

The communiqué further noted that Cabinet approval was granted at the beginning of this year for 909 recruitments to the Railways Department, which included 106 new Station Master positions.

Accordingly, the Ministry expressed its dissatisfaction over the sudden strike as steps had already been taken to address their demands.

The Ministry also raised doubts whether the union might be attempting to pursue other objectives by launching such a strike, thereby inconveniencing the public.The Ministry further notes that they would not hesitate to take all necessary measures to intervene and ensure the smooth railway operations.

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has strongly denied claims made by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), asserting that court submissions referencing him are misleading and legally flawed.

A statement issued in this regard by Mr. Wickremesinghe’s office is as follows :

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Emeritus Professor of Demography at the University of Colombo – Indralal de Silva, states that Sri Lanka’s Southern Province – reported to have the lowest gravitational force in the world – also exhibits a notably higher life expectancy among its residents.

He notes that this unique geographical factor could be promoted to boost tourism and investment in the region.

Among Sri Lanka’s 09 provinces, the Hambantota and Matara districts in the south have recorded the highest life expectancy rates. According to recent NASA data, one contributing factor is that the lowest gravitational pull on Earth has been measured in this southern region and the nearby eastern Indian Ocean near the Maldives.

Given this, Prof. Indralal suggests promoting the Southern Province as a destination for wealthy international visitors, encouraging long-term residency options for foreigners, and attracting foreign investment into industries that could benefit from the region’s unique low-gravity environment.

He particularly emphasizes that it would be timely to promote ‘Wellness Tourism’ – especially among European travelers – by promoting a blend of Ayurvedic, Western, and traditional Sri Lankan medical treatments.

These insights are based on Sri Lanka’s life expectancy data secured on male and females for the years 2000-02 and 2011-13.

(Source : Silumina)