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Sports Council headed by Arjuna proposes to cancel LPL

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The National Sports Council headed by former cricket skipper Arjuna Ranatunga has submitted a proposal to cancel the Lanka Premier League (LPL) T20 cricket tournament scheduled to commence on December 6 and the T10 cricket tournament proposed to be held in the future.

The National Sports Council has submitted these proposals yesterday (10) and it is said that they have also requested to appoint an Interim Committee to govern Sri Lanka Cricket.

Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe told the media that a final decision will be reached about these proposals following a discussion to be held with the Sports Council members today (11).

“There have been proposals from the National Sports Council to cancel the LPL and the T10 tournament. With the crisis situation that has arisen, we hope to reach a final decision after discussing these matters with the Sports Council and the Selection Committee,” he said.

Interim Committee to rob USDs!

Meanwhile, SLC sources said that all the preparations have been made to go ahead with the LPL.

It is reported that if the tournament is abandoned, there will be a loss of 2 million USDs.

An executive officer of SLC has told Aruna newspaper that foreigners who intend to come to Sri Lanka for LPL may not come.

“If they are trying to take such decisions based on the Dhanushka Gunathilaka incident, what is the relationship between that and the cancellation of the tournament? Sri Lanka Cricket currently has a reserve of 40 million US Dollars. Someone is trying to set up an Interim Committee to rob money. We have informed the ICC about this. If there is an interim committee for SLC, Sri Lanka cricket will definitely be banned internationally,” he said.

Throughout the past, Mr. Ranatunga was seen trying to take over the power of Sri Lanka Cricket every time he got involved in politics.

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Maithri ordered to provide statement before court

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The Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court has ordered former President Maithripala Sirisena to provide a statement to court on April 04, based on the recent comments he had made over the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.

The order was issued today (28) after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had reported the relevant facts to the court, on the instructions of the Attorney General.

Mr. Sirisena had made this statement on March 22 and several factions had subsequently filed complaints with the Criminal Investigation Department in this regard.

The former President had even recorded a statement for around five-hours with the CID on Monday (March 25) over his recent comments.

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Sinopec to commence work on refinery project by June

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Minister of Power and Energy – Kanchana Wijesekera has stated that officials of the Sinopec Overseas Investment Holding Pvt Ltd (SOIHL), led by their vice President, had visited the ministry yesterday (March 27).

Tweeting, the minister added that the delegation updated on the progress of the negotiations with stakeholders for the construction of the proposed new refinery in Hambantota.

Noting that the officials indicated that the management of Sinopec has decided to double the capacity of the refinery from the original proposal and the Investment, he added that they intend to sign the agreements for the project and commence work by June 2024.

Discussions regarding the water supply, power supply, land allocation & BOI facilities will take place today with the relevant authorities, the Minister further noted.

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New online reporting system to combat child sexual abuse, launched

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The launch of an online platform enabling the swift removal of websites, photos, and videos containing or potentially containing instances of child sexual abuse took place today (March 28) at the Presidential secretariat under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.Recognizing the urgency of addressing child abuse in cyberspace, this initiative targets the dissemination of nude photos and indecent videos of children through internet and social media channels. Implemented by the National Child Protection Authority in collaboration with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), renowned for its expertise in internet child safety enforcement, this program receives financial support from Save the Children and Child Fund.

Following the implementation of this online system, individuals can now visit the website of the National Child Protection Authority at www.childprotection.gov.lk to report incidents of indecent photos and videos of children exchanged online. These reports will be handled by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) in collaboration with the National Child Protection Authority. Subsequently, the offending videos will be promptly removed from the internet, and legal action will be pursued against the perpetrators.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing this event said;

“For several decades, this sector has been neglected. The government has indeed neglected it, and the attention it warranted has not been provided. The magnitude of the problem now is such that resolving it within a year seems implausible. We lack the capacity to address the issue comprehensively; therefore, we must employ a variety of strategies.

Firstly, short-term recommendations must be promptly implemented. We propose that the existing committee include stakeholders from the government, specifically authorities in child care and probation services, along with representatives from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and the police force. Strengthening police numbers, particularly in women and children’s desks at every police station, is imperative. This effort must be coordinated with measures against drugs.Additionally, we must consider establishing a new structure and enacting new legislation. I advocate for the formation of a Children’s Council to oversee both the promotion of children’s interests and their protection. The management of probation and child care services should be devolved to the nine provinces, as I believe this responsibility does not necessarily belong to the central government.”

He added that immediate action should be taken on short-term recommendations, while the process of enacting new legislation pertaining to children’s rights should also be expedited.

For further information, contact the Law Enforcement Division at 011-2778911 extension (269) or visit the official website www.childprotection.gov.lk.The launch of this online initiative was attended by Minister of State for Women and Child Affairs and Social Empowerment, Ms Geeta Kumarasinghe, Chairman of the National Child Protection Authority, Senior Lecturer Mr Udayakumara Amarasinghe, Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and Social Empowerment, Ms Yamuna Perera, and representatives from various organizations dedicated to ensuring child safety.

(President’s Media Division)

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