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Peliyagoda land to be sold to pay salaries of two state institutions!

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State Engineering Corporation (SEC) Chairman Rathnasiri Kalupahana said that a Cabinet paper has been prepared to sell a valuable land located in Peliyagoda belonging to the SEC for about 10 billion rupees.

He said that the land will be sold for the payment of employee salaries, arrears of salaries and arrears of EPF of the SEC and its affiliated National Equipment and Machinery Organization (NEMO).

The chairman said that it has been decided to sell a 17-acre, 2-rood, 17-perch land with a high urban value located next to the Peliyagoda Fish Market.

Mr. Kalupahana said this when inquired about the payment of mere Rs.7,000 to the NEMO employees for the month of May.

He said that due to the ongoing economic crisis in the country and the collapse of the construction sector, the salary payment to the employees of SEC and NEMO has become a serious issue due to the loss of income. He said steps have been taken to pay a part of the salary in this way from the money that received.

The chairman said that Rs.2,600 million will also be required to pay some 1,100 employees who are ready to retire voluntarily.

He said that the large-scale financial irregularities of NEMO and the recruitment of an excess of employees during the ‘Yahapalana’ Government have also led to the issues at the institution.

Speaking to the media, Mr. Kalupahana said that they have pointed out to the ministers in charge and the Ministry of Finance on several occasions that it is difficult to pay salaries to the employees of these institutions in the face of the current economic crisis.

“Not only the salaries, even the employee EPF and ETF allowances have not been paid for two years. Therefore, 1,100 employees are about to resign voluntarily. We made a request to the Treasury to compensate them. But the Treasury rejected our request and informed us that if our institution has any assets, it could be sold to pay compensation.”

“Accordingly, we prepared a Cabinet paper through Minister Prasanna Ranatunga to sell a valuable land adjacent to the Peliyagoda Fish Market and compensate the employees.”

“The current value of this land has been determined by the Government Valuation Department as between Rs.9 billion and 10 billion. There is also a two-storied building that was built during the tenure of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. However, the construction was halted during the ‘Yahapalana’ Government and it has been abandoned now. If the building had been fully constructed, the value of this land would have increased even more.”

“Although President Ranil Wickremesinghe approved the Cabinet paper, the Lands Ministry Secretary informed us that it is not possible to implement the decision. This situation has become a major issue for us. Accordingly, following the intervention of Minister Ranatunga, the institution was taken over by the Ministry of Finance through a special gazette. This will be convenient for future activities,” he said.

Mr. Kalupahana said that a discussion will be held today (19) with Acting Finance Minister Shehan Semasinghe and a group of senior officials of the Finance Ministry to discuss and find solutions to these pressing issues.

Source – Aruna

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Ex-chairman of Lindula-Talawakelle UC, remanded

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Former chairman of the Lindula-Talawakelle Urban Council – Asoka Sepala has been arrested today (June 02).

The Colombo Chief Magistrate has ordered to remand the suspect until June 11.

The former chairman has been arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) for causing a loss of Rs. 2.38 million to the government, during the issuance of a tender to lease stall belonging to the Urban Council.

It is said that instead of awarding the tender to the highest bidder, it was given to a lower bidder, resulting in the aforementioned loss.

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Halloluwa further remanded

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Former Director of the National Lotteries Board (NLB) – Thusitha Halloluwa, has been further remanded until June 04, by the Fort Chief Magistrate’s Court.

Halloluwa remains in custody over alleged misappropriation of government assets belonging to the NLB.

He was previously arrested and released on bail on May 02 over the alleged misuse of a computer and a mobile phone valued at over Rs. 470,000 during his tenure as the Acting Director of the National Lotteries Board.

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Electricity (Amendment) Bill challenged

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The Electricity (Amendment) Bill, which was recently tabled in Parliament, has been challenged in the Supreme Court.

Accordingly, the Supreme Court today (June 02) ordered that the petition filed by the Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union requesting a ruling that certain provisions of the Electricity Bill are unconstitutional be taken up for hearing on June 06.

The order was issued when the petition was taken up before a three-member Supreme Court bench comprising Justice A.H.M.D. Nawaz, Arjuna Obeyesekere and Priyantha Fernando.

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