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Finance Ministry curtails privileges of university lecturers!

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The Finance Ministry has made arrangements to stop providing funds for air tickets and other facilities to university lecturers who travel abroad for postgraduate studies and training.

The ministry has informed this to the University Grants Commission in writing. The letter also said that measures taken in relation to all government institutions will also apply to universities and higher educational institutions due to the current economic crisis.

The appointment letter of lecturers who have been working continuously for seven years says that they are entitled to a one-year leave for their post-graduate studies or training activities, and the lecturers who go abroad will be given facilities such as air tickets.

However, the lecturers said doing away with these facilities is a violation of human rights and the university lecturers are of the opinion that since they are entitled to the seven-year leave facility for the work they have already done, there is no possibility to violate the rights related to that period.

Meanwhile, University Grants Commission Chairman Professor Sampath Amaratunga said they could have arrived at a compromise had the Finance Ministry discussed the issue with them before taking this decision.

The chairman pointed out that measures such as creating a ration system for universities, preparing a waiting list for lecturers going abroad and providing financial facilities accordingly, and providing these financial facilities from the income earned by the universities could have been discussed prior to taking the decision.

The professor warned that universities could become ‘deserts’ due to this new decision.

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Over 3,000 child abuse incidents in Jan. – April 2023

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There have been 3,102 reported child abuse related incidents in the first four months of this year, the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) revealed.

These statistics were presented during a workshop at the NCPA on 24 May, with the aim of raising awareness among the media about child protection issues.

Sajeewani Abeykoon, Director of Law Enforcement at the NCPA, revealed that on average they receive over 600 complaints per month.

The highest number of reported cases this year occurred in March, with a total of 1,026 cases. The figures for the first four months of this year are as follows: January – 779 cases, February – 703 cases, March – 1,026 cases and April – 594 cases.

Furthermore, the statistics from 2022 indicate a total of 10,497 reported cases.

Abeykoon said, “There was a slight decrease in reported cases during the month of July last year, possibly due to the Aragalaya protest, as the fuel and economic crises may have had a positive impact for the first time. In the previous year, there were a total of 185 serious sexual harassment cases reported, along with 729 minor sexual harassment cases, 167 rape cases, and 132 reported cases of child smuggling.”

(Excerpts : Ceylon Today)

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Interim order issued over using movie song sans consent

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Colombo Commercial High Court Judge K.P. Fernando today (31) ordered an interim order, banning the use of a popular movie song for commercials and on social media.

The song, ‘Mey Bajaar Ekata Malli’, is a song on the hit movie – ‘No Address’ was penned by Prof. Sunil Ariyaratne with music by Dr. Rohana Weerasinghe.

The case was filed by Dr. Weerasinghe, who stated that using the song sans permission for commercials and on social media violated his intellectual property rights.

Considering the case, the judge issued the interim order against ‘Saregama Films, Santhush Weeraman and Ceylon Cold Stores.

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Rs. 28.8 mn. already allocated for Poson festival – PMD

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The government has refuted claims raised by various parties over the lack of state sponsored funding for the Poson Program being held in Anuradhapura this year.

In a media release, the President’s Media Division states that 02 State Ministries and one Department has already allocated Rs. 28.8 million for the purpose.

According to the PMD media release, Ven. Valahangunawewe Dhammarathana Thera, the Chief Incumbent of the Mihintale Rajamaha Viharaya, has forwarded an estimate of Rs.17 million to the Secretary of the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, specifically for the Mihintale Poson Perahara.

It adds that the Secretary of the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs – Mr. Somaratne Widanapathirana has informed allocating such a large sum of money is not possible within the financial regulations imposed by Parliament and that the ministry has approved a sum of Rs. 3.1 million from its budget head allocations for the 2023 National Poson Festival. 

“Secretary of the Public Administration Ministry K.D.N. Ranjith Asoka also said that an additional Rs.10 million has also been disbursed to the District Secretariats under the approval of the Anuradhapura District Secretary,” it adds.

“The National Water Supply and Drainage Board have agreed to supply 30,000 cubic meters of water for the drinking water and sanitary needs during the National Poson Festival… The Water Supply and Drainage Board Chairman, Mr. Nishantha Ranatunga, stated that the cost of these water-related services, including the installation of water tanks and tap systems at gathering places and providing water to the tanks along the Perahara route for the elephants, amounts to Rs. 15.7 million (excluding VAT), which will be covered corporately,” the media release further notes.

The complete media release issued by the PMD in this regard is as follows :

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