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CoPF urges to ensure the entire ‘Aswesuma’ project is done electronically

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The Committee on Public Finance has directed the officials of the Welfare Benefits Board to give priority to the criteria that can be verified and determined in order to accurately identify poverty while selecting the beneficiaries. Drawing examples, the Committee pointed out that individual poverty can be identified better based on the electricity bill amount considering the electricity units consumed in each home.

The Committee pointed out that there are major problems and lack of formality in the criteria used in the selection of relief beneficiaries, and advised them to rectify it as soon as possible. The officials of the Ministry of Finance told the Committee that they will change the method of giving points that is currently used in the selection of relief beneficiaries.

The matter was taken up for discussion when the Committee on Public Finance met in Parliament recently (May 28) under the chairmanship of Dr. Harsha de Silva.

Furthermore, the amendment to the regulations under section 27 of the Welfare Benefits Act No. 24 of 2002 published in the Extraordinary Gazette No. 2382/02 dated 29.04.2024 was considered before the Committee.

The members of the Committee pointed out the way in which huge corruption and irregularities take place through the manual recording of data by those people while selecting the beneficiaries. Accordingly, the Committee on Public Finance gave a recommendation to the Ministry of Finance officials to conduct the entire process from collecting necessary data to the selection of relief beneficiaries only via electronic means.

Furthermore, the displeasure of the Committee was expressed for not taking formal legal action for the irregularities that have arisen in relation to the selection of beneficiaries. The Committee pointed out that by not taking legal action, more and more corruption and irregularities will occur and it will create a serious obstacle for the right people to get the benefits. Accordingly, the Committee Chair instructed the officials to investigate the complaints received and take necessary legal measures for the same.

Milk powder prices
Furthermore, the order was reconsidered under Section 3 of the Port and Airport Development Tax Act No. 18 of 2011 published in the Extraordinary Gazette No. 2350-45 dated 21.9.2023. Milk powder prices and local milk powder market were discussed under this. The Chair emphasized the importance of introducing a price formula for milk powder based on a scientific method. Accordingly, the Chair also instructed the officials to introduce the HHI (Herfindahl-Hirschman index) index.

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Ministry denies Sevanagala sugar factory closure rumours

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The Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development states that reports circulating on social media about the possible closure of the Sevanagala Sugar Factory are false.

The ministry adds that neither the government nor Lanka Sugar Company (Pvt) Ltd. (LSCPL) has discussed such a move.

The ministry further states that the Sevanagala Sugar Factory, which operated at a loss under the previous government, is now continuing operations under a new marketing plan and has begun implementing measures to transform it into a profitable institution.

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Youth killed in sword attack

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03 individuals were attacked with a sword near the railway line at Nedurana Junction in Eheliyagoda last night (May 30).

A 22-year-old resident of Gatahetta, Iddamalgoda, died after being admitted to the Eheliyagoda Hospital with serious injuries, while the other 02 victims have been transferred to the Ratnapura Hospital for further treatment.

Eheliyagoda Police are conducting further investigations to apprehend the suspects.

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Electricity breakdowns increase to 50,000 (Update)

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The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) reports that nearly 50,000 electricity breakdowns were reported between 8.00 pm on May 29 and 8.00 pm yesterday (May 30) due to adverse weather conditions.

CEB Media Spokesperson, Engineer Dhammika Wimalaratne, stated that around 14,030 issues have been resolved so far, with efforts underway to restore the remaining breakdowns within 24 hours.

The highest number of complaints were reported from the Central and Western Provinces. Of these, 5,300 out of 15,000 outages in the Central Province and 1,700 out of 10,000 in the Western Province have been restored.

The CEB urges the public to report unresolved outages or fallen power lines via the CEBCare app or by calling the hotline 1987.


(Previous News on 30th May, 2025 at 9:49pm)

Over 29,000 electricity breakdowns reported across SL

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has said that over 29,015 electricity breakdowns have been reported across the country due to the prevailing adverse weather conditions. 

CEB teams are actively engaged in attending to these breakdowns despite challenges posed by limited staffing and resources, the statement said.

The CEB requests the public to report any outages or safety concerns via the CEBCare mobile app or by calling the ‘1987’ hotline, so that their teams can prioritize and respond swiftly.

1,757 affected

Meanwhile, the Disaster Management Center (DMC) reports that a total of 1,757 individuals from 485 families have been affected by the adverse weather conditions.

‘Red’ warning for strong winds and rough seas 

The Department of Meteorology has issued a ‘Red’ warning for strong winds and rough seas for the sea areas off the coast extending from Chilaw to Kankesanthurai via Puttalam and Mannar, and from Galle to Pottuvil via Hambanthota.

Due to the effect of the active southwest monsoon condition, the sea areas off the coast extending from Chilaw to Kankesanthurai via Puttalam and Mannar and from Galle to Pottuvil via Hambantota will be very rough at times with very strong wind gusts up to 60-70 kmph, it said. 

Naval and fishing communities are advised not to venture into the above sea areas until further notice. 

Wind speed may increase up to 50-60 kmph at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Chilaw to Galle via Colombo and from Kankasanthurai to Trincomalee via Mullaittivu. 

The naval and fishing communities engaged in fishing and naval activities in these sea areas are requested to be vigilant in this regard. 

The advisory further states that the wave height may increase about 3.0 meters in the sea areas off the coast extending from Mannar to Pottuvil via Puttalam, Colombo, Galle and Hambantota. 

It further said there is a possibility of surges due to swell waves over the coastal areas extending from Mannar to Pottuvil via Puttalam, Colombo, Galle and Hambantota. 

Naval and fishing communities are also requested to be attentive to future forecasts issued by the Department of Meteorology in this regard.

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