Connect with us

News

Schoolbus given by Bandula stops plying after just 1 day

Published

on

Residents of Polonnaruwa alleged that the SLTB bus allocated to Polonnaruwa depot to transport children from remote villages in Polonnaruwa has been stopped.

Although the bus was given at a ceremony held in the village on May 9 with the participation of Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardana, it has been stopped plying the next day.

Out of 500 buses received under the loan facility from India, 16 buses were given to the Polonnaruwa Depot. One out of the 16 buses was reserved for school children in the remote villages of Galthalawa in Welikanda, Rideepokuna, Aluthwewa, Ginidamana, Nelumwewa and Borawewa.

The parents said that although the children were transported to school by that bus on May 10, the children were not brought back home by the same bus and they had to come by other buses.

Meanwhile, Polonnaruwa SLTB Depot Superintendent D.A. Premasiri has told the media that it is not possible to run the bus in question due to the lack of employees, and that the bus will be operated again in the future.

SLPP MP Jagath Samarawickremane, who was present at the ceremony to handover the bus, told the media that eight out of the 16 buses were not plying due to the lack of drivers.

(Source – Aruna)

News

Foreigner arrested at BIA with cocaine in stomach

Published

on

By

The officers attached to the Narcotic Control unit at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake have arrested a passenger yesterday morning (Nov. 11) on suspicion of trafficking narcotic substances.

He had arrived from Sierra Leone via Istanbul by the Turkish Airlines flight TK 730.

After being put through a body scanner, it was revealed that the suspect had concealed drugs in his person.

Subsequently, the suspect was admitted to the Negombo Hospital and 17 pellets suspected of containing narcotics have been retrieved. However, the suspect had confessed that there are more pellets in his stomach.

The retrieved pellets and the suspect were handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau for further investigations.

According to Sri Lanka Customs, the estimated street value of the seized cocaine pellets is around Rs. 13 million,

Continue Reading

News

IOC calls to suspend NOCSL Secretary General

Published

on

By

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has called for the immediate suspension of Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL) Maxwell de Silva.

Jerome Poivey, Associate Director, Institutional and Governance Services IOC NOC Relations Department in an email dated November 11, 2024 has urged Suresh Subramaniam, President, NOCSL to convene an urgent meeting of the NOC Executive Board and take appropriate action without any further delay, in accordance with the NOCSL Constitution.

The measure comes following the conclusions and the recommendations submitted by the NOC Ethics Committee.

Continue Reading

News

Pavithra’s gazette on Vidataltivu Nature Reserve to be reviewed

Published

on

By


The Attorney General has informed the Supreme Court that the new government intends to review the Extraordinary Gazette notification issued by former Wildlife Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, which altered the boundaries of the Vidataltivu Nature Reserve to facilitate an aquaculture project.

Deputy Solicitor General Fazly Razick, representing the Attorney General, made these remarks in connection with two Fundamental Rights petitions filed by the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka and the Environment Foundation. These petitions were heard before a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justices S. Thurairaja, A.H.M.D. Nawaz, and Janak De Silva.

Previously, the Supreme Court had issued an interim order suspending the operation of the Extraordinary Gazette issued by Minister Wanniarachchi, which modified the boundaries of the Vidataltivu Nature Reserve for an aquaculture project. This interim order was further extended today till July 29, 2025.

The petitioners are challenging the unlawful acts of the Minister of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation by Extraordinary Gazette bearing No. 2383/05 and dated 6th May 2024.

The petitioners stated that this Gazette issued by the subject Minister noted that the area specified in the appendix of the gazette will no longer be designated as part of the Vidataltivu Nature Reserve.

The petitioners further state that the area that formed the Nature Reserve was identified as an area requiring protection by an Integrated Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka (hereinafter referred to as ISEA-NPSL) carried out by the Central Environmental Authority and Disaster Management Centre with other government departments and experts between 2009 and 2014 and published in 2014.

They state that Vidataltivu falls under the classification of a “Strict Nature Reserve” declared under the provisions of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance. It is critical for mangroves and fauna including rare species of great biodiversity and crucial ecological significance. Vidataltivu is situated close to the buffer zone near the Wilpattu National Park and the former Minister has de-gazzeted portions of the strict nature reserve to give it to a private company doing shrimp farming.

President’s Counsel Sanjeeva Jayawardana PC with Dilumi de Alwis and Rukshan Senadheera appeared for the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka, while Counsel Nilshantha Sirimanne with Deshara Goonetilleke appeared for the Environment Foundation (Guarantee) Ltd.

(dailymirror.lk)

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

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2024 Sri Lanka Mirror. All Rights Reserved