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Committee to seek how best to integrate Hill Country Tamils into society

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The government will appoint a committee to seek how best to integrate the Tamils of Hill Country Origin further into the Sri Lankan Society, said President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

He said further that although some of the Tamils of Hill Country Origin had integrated successfully into the Sri Lankan society, some have failed and measures would be taken to assist them to do so.  

President Ranil Wickremesinghe made these observations addressing at the occasion of accepting a consignment of medicines donated by the Pondicherry Union Territory and people of India on the request of Ceylon Worker’s Congress (CWC) at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (30).  

The consignment of medicines was officially handed over to the President by Secretary General of the Ceylon Worker’s Congress (CWC) and Parliamentarian Jeewan Thondaman in memory of the late Mr. Saumyamoorthi Thondaman who passed away 23 years ago on October 30th. The consignment of medicines was subsequently handed over to Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.

The President said that he would attend to ensure the development of schools in the plantation sector while the Ministry of Health would take over the hospitals in the plantation sector. He assured development in both these areas very soon.

Now the government is also encouraging building of houses and issuing lands to the people of Tamil origin in the Hill Country because they must have their own lands and a place to live in just like other groups in the hill country, the President added.

He said further, steps would be taken to review the plantation economy that could be affected by people leaving the plantation areas after being educated.  As people are being educated, more and more are leaving the plantation sector.  The government has to find jobs for them as well as for other Sinhalese and Muslims who leave their areas to settle elsewhere. So, the government has to look at the future of the groups that would continue to live in the plantation sector and on how to improve the plantation economy as they cannot be allowed to live in a subsistence level.

He said further that these issues would be gradually resolved in the coming years as the government resolves the whole ethnic problem in Sri Lanka.

He assured that the government would take further measures to ensure that Tamil people of Hill Country Origin would have the same facilities as other people in the country as realized and worked on under late President J R Jayawardena’s tenure.  

He also requested all leaders of the Hill Country Tamils to join in this endeavor to ensure that all benefits of Sri Lankan citizenship is enjoyed by the people in the Hill Country of Tamil Origin.

The President also appreciated the service rendered by late Thondaman and said he was one of the most outstanding leaders of the 20th century in Sri Lanka as through nonviolence he achieved citizenship for all the people of Indian Origin who stayed back after the Srima-Shasthri Pact. The President said that he got citizenship for some people who should have gone under Srima-Shastri Pact but decided to stay back in Sri Lanka.

Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, a representative from the Indian High Commission, several members of CWC including Senthil Thondaman were present at the occasion.

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What will happen to SLT’s most precious fiber optic cables?

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Among the physical assets owned by Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) to be sold, it is reported that the most valuable asset is the cable system consisting of five underground cables (submarine fiber optic cable system) that provides communication facilities from Sri Lanka to foreign countries.

Meanwhile, it was reported that both Malaysia and India are trying to buy the SLT.

However, it is said that if SLT were to sell the 49.5% shares owned by the government, Malaysia’s Global Telecom Holding (GTH), which owns 44.98% of the SLT, should first be invited.

According to the SLT Privatization Agreement, shares of GTH owned by Malaysian Tamil Buddhist Ananda Krishnan of Sri Lankan origin and the Sri Lankan Government are prohibited from being sold to third parties.

The government can sell its 49.5% stake to a third party only if the Malaysian company refuses to buy the shares.

Lalitha Hewagamage, a social media activist, in a post on his Facebook page said that Malaysia’s Dialog Axiata already owns more than 82.74% of Dialog’s shares. If GTH owns SLT, Malaysia will be the lead telecommunications owner in Sri Lanka.

He said that this is a beautiful acquisition compared to the South Indian, Portuguese, Dutch and English conquests.

He also said that the minions of President Ranil Wickremesinghe are trying to violate the agreement and transfer the shares owned by the government to a third buyer like Lycamobile or Reliance.

Mr. Hewagamage warned that if the agreement is violated, the country will have to pay compensation to GTH in an international court in the future.

He said the amount of compensation could be more than the amount obtained by selling the shares owned by the government.

Who is behind the idea?

Economic experts pointed out that developed countries with large economies have achieved their economic growth by moving to the world of e-commerce.

Accordingly, it is important for the government to have a stake in the country’s communication system to develop a country.

Meanwhile, security analysts pointed out that India is already working carefully to acquire the printing of national identity cards and its database, and its second step is to take over the national communication network.

Indian wolves vying for SLT

It has been confirmed that Reliance company owned by the Mittals family, as well as Jio company owned by Mukesh Ambani and Lycamobile owned by Subaskaran Aliraja are interested in buying SLT.

Reliance also owns Airtel in Sri Lanka.

Rohan is the most unsuccessful chairman…

Meanwhile, SLT trade unions said that current Chairman Rohan Fernando is the most unsuccessful chairman in SLT history.

Though the Chairman has told the media how SLT has become profitable, they said he is now silent about selling such a profitable company.

What Nanda Malini said about selling country’s resources:

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Brain-dead student helps save six lives!

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The heart and lungs taken from a brain dead 19-year-old student with the permission of her family were transplanted to a critically ill anesthesiologist at the Colombo National Hospital, a specialist who participated in the surgery has told Lankadeepa.

Medical experts said that this is the first time in the medical history of Sri Lanka that these organs have been transplanted to a patient who was suffering from a heart disease and a lung disorder in one surgery.

A team of Indian medical specialists and a team of specialists from Sri Lanka have transplanted the heart and lungs to the anesthesiologist. Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and senior officials of the Health Ministry have given their support to make this operation successful.

In addition, the kidneys and liver taken from the student were transplanted to two patients suffering from kidney disease and a liver patient.

The bone marrow of the donor has also been taken to be transplanted to patients.

According to a pledge made by the student when she was still alive, her eyes were also donated to the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society.

The organ donor was a student from Ambanpola in Nikaweratiya by the name A. H. T. Vihagana Nuwanmini Ariyasinghe.

She has been pronounced brain dead while being treated in the intensive care unit of the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital due to a brain tumor.

She was a student of Maliyadeva Girls’ College in Kurunegala and appeared for the recently held A/L examination.

(Lankadeepa)

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President’s House to be shifted to Sandun Uyana

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The government has decided to construct a new President’s Official Residence and the Presidential Secretariat on the site of the National ‘Sandun Uyana’ (Sandalwood Garden) built at a cost of Rs.300 million.

Since it has been decided to use the President’s House premises in Colombo Fort for a development project under the Colombo Port City Project, it has been decided to build a new President’s House and the Secretariat at the Sandun Uyana.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandana Wickramaratne has also recommended that the Sandun Uyana prepared in nine acres near the Parliament premises is suitable for that purpose.

Accordingly, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed the Urban Development Authority (UDA) to prepare future plans and submit a report.

The President’s Office said that it has also been decided to relocate the Prime Minister’s office and the Prime Minister’s official residence on another plot of land located near the Sandun Uyana.

The President has informed the UDA to look into the possibility of moving the Cabinet office to another plot of land nearby, and the President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake to study the space required for this construction and submit a report.

The Sandun Uyana project was built and opened during the tenure of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

A total of 300 red sandalwood plants and 900 white sandalwood plants were planted in the garden at a cost of Rs.300 million by the UDA.

Although this garden was planned to be opened by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on July 20, 2021, it was opened by Minister Namal Rajapaksa.

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