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PUCSL takes U-turn on retrospective electricity price hike

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Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), the island nation’s power regulator, has taken a U-turn and agreed to the cabinet decision on a retrospective electricity tariff hike with immediate effect after a meeting with President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Janaka Ratnayaka, the PUCSL Chairman, earlier had told media that the cabinet decision to raise electricity tariff retrospectively was against the law and he would not allow such price hike.

“We had a discussion with all the directors of PUCSL on January 12, after the cabinet decision was published where we had decided to not to implement any retrospective electricity tariff going against the electricity and the PUCSL act,” Ratnayaka told reporters on Friday.

“On January 19, all the directors were asked to come to the National Council to discuss this. But before that other three members of the board were called by the President without informing me,” he said.

“After the meeting, at the National Council these three members said they did not receive the decision on time and did not have the time to review the cabinet decisions and data. They said because of that they had agreed with me”.

Ratnayaka said the three commission members went back on the decision taken at the board meeting on January 12, which was that the cabinet decision should be implemented immediately.

“They (the three members) had 7 days from January 12 to 19 and within those days they could have informed me in writing that they had revised their decision. Without doing that, they put me in trouble by suddenly changing their decision in front of the National council,” Ratnayaka said.

“If anyone can (change and) implement an independent commission’s decisions like this, we are doomed. I will personally take legal actions against their actions in the coming days.”

After the National Council, members have asked for a board meeting. Ratnayaka said a board meeting will be called next week.

“Me as the Chairman of the PUCSL and many other members of this organization are strongly stand on our decision,”

He said the tariff needs to be increased and the scientific method of implementing it is now being carried out by the PUCSL.

(economynext.com)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by economynext.com has not been edited by SLM staff)

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Lohan Ratwatte transferred to prison hospital 

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Former State Minister Lohan Ratwatte, who was arrested and remanded on charges of using a luxury car illegally imported from abroad and assembled in Sri Lanka, has been transferred to the prison hospital.

He was arrested by Mirihana Police on October 31 in Katugastota, Kandy.

Ratwatte was subsequently produced before the Acting Magistrate of Nugegoda from the Mirihana Police Station, and was ordered to be remanded until November 7.

However, the Acting Magistrate granted permission for Ratwatte to receive treatment at the prison hospital.

Police said that the former state minister was arrested in Kandy over an incident of discovering an unregistered car at his wife’s house in the Mirihana area of Nugegoda.

The car without registered number plates was found on October 26, 2024, according to police.

Police had found the luxury car in question during an inspection carried out based on information received by the police headquarters that there is a luxury car without number plates in a three-storied house in the Embuldeniya area in Mirihana, belonging to Shashi Prabha Ratwatte, the wife of former State Minister Lohan Ratwatte.

During the investigation, both Ratwatte and his wife had explained to the police that his mother-in-law resides in the said house. They had claimed that the car had been brought there three weeks ago by Ratwatte’s private secretary, who was recently found dead with gunshot injuries in the Katugastota area of Kandy.

(AdaDerana)
(This story, originally published by AdaDerana has not been edited by SLM staff)

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Bell 412 helicopter on standby for KDU bus accident patients

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The Defence Secretary has directed the Sri Lanka Air Force to keep a Bell 412 helicopter ready at the Diyatalawa Air Force Base for the potential airlift of patients injured in the recent bus accident to Colombo for further treatment if needed.

The accident, which occurred at Ambagas Junction on the Dunhinda-Badulla road around 7:45 AM on November 1, involved a bus carrying 42 people from the Kotelawala Defence University’s (KDU) Southern Campus. Among the group were 36 students from the 39th KDU Intake, three lecturers, an instructor, a senior military officer, and the bus driver.

Two female students, residents of Kurunegala and Nivithigala, tragically lost their lives. 

The remaining 40 were admitted to the Badulla General Hospital, with seven in the ICU and one in critical condition.

KDU’s Vice-Chancellor confirmed that arrangements for the funerals will be made with university support. 

Preliminary findings suggest a mechanical fault may have caused the accident, with a detailed investigation underway.

The Ministry of Defence has expressed condolences to the victims’ families and commended the prompt rescue efforts of local residents, as well as the swift response by Dr. Palitha Rajapaksa and the hospital staff.

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(Previous News : November 01, 2024 11.28 am)

2 dead in Badulla bus tragedy

Two persons have been reported dead after a bus carrying a group of university students had toppled across the road at Dunhinda Road in Badulla this morning (Nov. 01).

The accident had occurred between the third and fourth kilometer posts on the Badulla-Mahiyanganaya main road, near the Dunhinda access road, after the bus collided with a bund.

According to reports, the bus was carrying a group of students from the Southern Campus of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU), who had been on a field trip.

Over 30 persons injured had been rushed to the Badulla Hospital, reports say.

(Pic : Accident 1st)

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Doctors at Karapitiya Hospital begin 24-hour strike over internal threats

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Doctors at the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital in Galle have commenced a 24-hour token strike, according to the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA).

GMOA Treasurer Dr. Ubhaya Bandara Warakagoda stated that the strike was initiated in protest over threats made by a doctor against several other doctors of the hospital.

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