News

Harming animals: No action against both Minister father & son

Published

5 months ago

October 27, 2022

editor

The Director General of Wildlife Conservation and the Head of Legal Department has failed to give a proper answer when the environmentalists had asked whether an investigation is being conducted over the death of a deer which was hit by the vehicle of Minister Mahinda Amaraweera at Udawalawe National Park a few months ago.

A group of environmentalists including Nayanaka Ranwella and Senior Advisor of the Centre For Environmental Justice Hemantha Vithanage met with Director General of Wildlife Conservation Chandana Sooriyabandara Yesterday (26) and held a discussion regarding the investigations being carried out in relation to the incident where animals in Yala National Park were harassed by a group of people arrived in jeeps.

Both the Director General and the Head of Legal Department have failed to give a proper answer about the progress of the investigation.

They have informed the environmentalists that an investigation is being conducted by the Southern Wildlife Zone over the incident.

However, the environmentalists said the Wildlife Conservation Department cannot be expected to carry out a proper investigation on the Yala incident, since they have not been able to conduct a proper investigation into the Udawalawe incident.

The environmentalists also said that the Director General that the Wildlife Conservation Department’s actions seemed passive regarding the Yala incident.

When the environmentalists had asked the Director General if the son of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation Minister Mahinda Amaraweera was involved in the Yala incident, he had said it has not been determined yet.

Following the discussion, Environmentalist Ranwella said,”They told us that they are still investigating the Yala incident. When asked if Minister Mahinda Amaraweera’s son was involved in this incident, they said that they are investigating that too. They neither denied nor accepted the fact that there was a minister’s son involved.

“There should be a more formal investigation into this incident. It is clear that this group has behaved recklessly and violated the laws within Yala National Park. If the investigations are not conducted properly, we have to make a more formal objection in a scientific manner.

Also, a deer which was hit by the vehicle of Minister Amaraweera has died. We are disappointed to note the death of animals by the vehicle driven by the drivers of the Minister of Wildlife. Action in this regard is still in unsatisfactory,” Ranwella said.

News

SWASTHA delayed by three months due to technical error!

Published

2 mins ago

March 28, 2023

editor

The Health Ministry sources said the launch of the software ‘SWASTHA’ for drug regulation, drug distribution and management in hospitals and state pharmacies has to be postponed for a period of three months due to technical errors.

An amount of Rs.101 million has been spent on the software, and it was introduced to pharmacists on March 18.

However, pharmacists have complained that it is difficult to use the software and that more training and time is needed to use it.

Introducing the software, Ministry’s Health Informatics Consultant Dr. Nishan Siriwardena said that it is possible to obtain accurate data on the shortage of medicines in hospitals and how medicines have been distributed to hospitals from using the software.

Since 2008, data on medicines in medical supplies units and hospitals has been collected using a software developed in Australia. However, the Ministry said that it is not possible to obtain proper data about the medicines available in this country from that software.

The Swastha software was introduced by the University of Colombo.

Source – Aruna

News

SJB candidate kills agricultural officer for not releasing fertilizer

Published

21 mins ago

March 28, 2023

editor

An Agricultural Research Officer at the Netolpitiya Agrarian Service Center in Tangalle was hacked to death due to a dispute over not releasing fertilizer, the Tangalle Police said.

The 30-year-old victim R.M.Deepashika was a resident of Weliare in Netolpitiya, Tangalle.

Fertilizers have been distributed free of charge at the Agrarian Service Center.

While distributing fertilizer to the farmers, one man had engaged in an argument with the officer demanding fertilizer on Sunday (26). However, he had left the center after the argument.

Meanwhile, when the victim was leaving home for work yesterday (27) morning, the suspect had attacked her with a sharp weapon.

The seriously injured woman died while being taken to the Tangalle Base Hospital.

Police have arrested Jayawardena Pathiranage Sarath alias ‘Danny Baby’, a 41-year-old resident of Netolpitiya, over the murder.

It was said that the suspect is contesting the local government election from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).

News

Six killed in Nashville school shooting

Published

36 mins ago

March 28, 2023

editor

Six people have been killed in a school shooting in the US city of Nashville, Tennessee, BBC reported.

Three of the victims were pupils aged nine or under at Covenant School, a privately run Christian school.

They were named by police as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney.

The adult victims were employees and named as Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61.

Covenant School has about 200 students, and teaches pupils from three years old up to around 12.

Ms Peak was a substitute teacher working at the school that day. Mr Hill was a janitor and Ms Koonce is described as the Head of School on Covenant’s website.

Police named the suspect as a 28-year-old woman, Audrey Hale, who identified as transgender.

Hale was armed with three guns, including a semi-automatic rifle, and was shot dead by police.

Nashville Police Chief John Drake said the shooter had conducted surveillance, and that maps of the building showing entry and exit points were found at a nearby home.

Police received the first call about the incident at 10:13 local time on Monday morning.

Police said the suspect got in by firing through one of the school doors, which were all locked.