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The LKR 2290 million Thanthirimale Reservoir Project, the third largest reservoir in Sri Lanka that was launched on August 25, opens cultivation opportunities through both seasons for many northern farmers for the first time in a long time.

“So far the farmers in this Northern region have been farming for only one season every year and this project enables them to farm through both seasons,” said the Minister of Industry, Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons, Cooperative Development, Skills Development & Vocational Training and Vanni District MP Rishad Bathiudeen on 25 August in Thanthirimale.

Minister Bathiudeen was addressing the launch of Rs 2290 Mn, four year-long Thanthirimale Reservoir Project - the third largest reservoir in Sri Lanka once completed- joined by PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Economic Affairs, Irrigation and Fisheries & Aquatic Resources Development P Harrison, several MPs of Minister Bathiudeen’s ACMC, farmers of the region and other participants, on 25 August.

“This is a victory for farmers in this area and it strengthens them economically and agriculturally. Also water shortages faced by people in these areas, including Mannar are solved by this project. We are very happy to witness the launch of this historic project which will supply water to Anuradhapura, Mannar and Vavuniya Districts. Many previous governments tried to commence this project but it is this government that finally managed to launch it at a cost of Rs 2290 Mn. In the last four years PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, under the leadership of HE President, has been initiating many development projects across Sri Lanka with huge investments. Recently he opened 400 schools across the country at the same time from Kurunegala and then went on to launch work on 126 new roads in Trincomalee District at a cost of Rs 800 Mn. Today on behalf of farmers of Vanni District and other Northern Districts, I thank HE President Sirisena, PM Wickremesinghe and Minister Harrison for their commitment to this reservoir project," the Minister added.

12% of total sown acres of paddy in Sri Lanka (in Maha season, under all schemes) are in the Districts of Anuradhapura, Mannar and Vavuniya.

Once the Thanthirimale project is completed, it is expected to irrigate 30680 acres of paddy lands in these three Districts. 50000 families in these Districts will receive water supplies. Seven irrigation lakes in these three Districts will be filled by the new reservoir. Floods in Mannar District are expected to be tamed while Thanthirimale is to be shaped as an Economic Centre for North.

Six forensic audits into alleged treasury bond scams and mismanagement of a Rs. 2.2 trillion Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) are to be completed this year, official sources revealed.

Public interest groups are now demanding the authorities to instigate legal and disciplinary action against all officers allegedly involved in treasury bond misappropriations since 1998, especially in the period between 2008-2016.

The six forensic audits were expanded to cover 2015 and 2016, but the Presidential Commission of Inquiry looking into the alleged bond scam recommended that the government inquire from the year 1998.

Holding a forensic audit examination on the EPF involvement in Treasury Bonds and Treasury Bills transactions from 2008-2014 was also recommended by the Commission.

BDO India and KPMG are conducting the forensic audits and five of those audits began in April this year.

Most of those audits are to be completed in two to three months and the longest audit will take at least six months for its completion.

One of the forensic audits has still not commenced as the Indian audit firm BDO was claiming a high fee of Rs. 900 million to conduct it.

Out of this amount, a sum of Rs. 1.5 million is needed only for the purpose of auditing phone calls.

Most of these telephone calls were in Sinhala and the content of it will have to be translated to English enabling the foreign audit firm to continue the auditing process.

The Cabinet Tender Committee appointed to select prospective bidders has awarded contracts to BDO India and KPMG at an agreed payment of Rs.250 million and it was approved by the Cabinet on March 6 this year.

However, all six audits are expected to be completed before the end of this year and necessary action would be taken by the Central Bank considering the outcome of the forensic audits.

A delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is to visit India in the next few weeks to discuss the issues faced by the Tamil community in the country as well as the forthcoming presidential election with New Delhi.

TNA Leader, MP R. Sampanthan says that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited the TNA for a discussion in New Delhi during his recent visit to Sri Lanka.

“When Prime Minister Modi was in Sri Lanka, several matters were discussed and we have been asked to come to Delhi. So we are hoping to undertake that journey shortly,” Sampanthan has said.

During discussions with New Delhi, the TNA is expected to urge India to play a more active role in ensuring the Sri Lankan Government kept its commitment to the international community with regard to the national question.

“We will be discussing the fact that Sri Lanka has not yet delivered on its commitments on the national question. Many commitments have been made to India and other countries that supported a resolution on this matter – countries which have assisted in the negotiations – but none of these commitments have been fulfilled. I think in the present context, when there is a lull in movement, it is necessary that the international community, to whom commitments have been made by Sri Lanka, should activate themselves and make the Sri Lankan Government realise that those commitments have to be delivered at once,” Sampanthan has said.

The TNA delegation is currently waiting for an appointment from the Indian Premier to make the visit to New Delhi.

The five judge bench headed by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya has determined on Friday (23) that their opinion on holding the Provincial Council elections without the Delimitation Report would be conveyed to President Maithripala Sirisena shortly.

President Sirisena made an application to seek a determination from the Supreme Court on holding the Provincial Council elections without the Delimitation Report.

The ruling of this case has to determine whether the Provincial Council elections can be held before the Presidential election this year, political sources said.

Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya told the open court at the inception of the proceedings that 13 written submission were submitted by various parties in relation to the President’s application seeking determination on holding the Provincial Council elections.

Attorneys for Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa have sought, in a fresh filing in the California Central District Court, to dismiss a lawsuit brought against him alleging his culpability in the January 2009 torture and extrajudicial killing of Editor of The Sunday Leader, Lasantha Wickrematunge.

The new filing asserts, while denying the allegation that he had a hand in the Wickrematunge murder, that even if the allegation were true, that he would be entitled to “foreign official immunity” as the murder would have been orchestrated as an official act of the Sri Lankan government.

“For the purposes of this motion only, Rajapaksa addresses the legal inadequacy of the complaint even assuming that the well-pleaded allegations of the complaint are true. As many Sri Lankans are following this case, Rajapaksa wishes to make clear that assuming the truth of the allegations for the purposes of this motion in no way concedes the truth. To the contrary, Rajapaksa vigorously disputes the allegations,” the filing has stated.

Rajapaksa’s lawyers have explained that the actions alleged by Lasantha’s daughter, Ahimsa Wickrematunge, “if undertaken by Rajapaksa, were in his official capacity as Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary.”

Therefore, he is “immune from suit under common law foreign official immunity,” the motion has asserted, urging that the case be dismissed.

Wickrematunge alleged that Gotabaya Rajapaksa used his “sweeping powers” under wartime legal provisions as well as his “power to direct investigations involving national security and terrorism” to orchestrate the murder of her father and cover up the crime. While denying the allegation, Rajapaksa has claimed that, even if the charges were true, that would make the Lasantha Wickrematunge murder an assassination or official act sanctioned by the government of Sri Lanka, allowing him to claim immunity through his office.

Rajapaksa’s attorneys have pointed to Wickrematunge’s allegation that the team that murdered her father “was directly under the control of the Ministry of Defence” and that the attack “was part of a larger pattern” of Sri Lankan military strategy as supporting evidence for the argument that, even if he did order the killing of the journalist, that it would have constituted an official act.

“The allegation that Rajapaksa acted in derogation of a peremptory norm of general international law against torture and extrajudicial killing does not change this analysis,” the motion has noted.

The filing has concluded that Wickrematunge’s case, “brought against a former Sri Lankan Defence Secretary and current presidential candidate just before elections there, has no place in a U.S. Court.” “The Defendant is immune from the suit for the alleged official acts.”

The President’s Media Division (PMD) has yesterday (22) clarified comments attributed to President Maithripala Sirisena in a media release issued by the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo following the High Commissioner’s meeting with President Sirisena on Tuesday (20).

The PMD issuing a statement noted that the said meeting took place at the request of the Pakistani High Commissioner and during which he briefed the President about the recent developments with regard to India’s abrogation of Section 370 and annulling of Article 35A of the Constitution of India.

“The President gave a patient hearing to the Pakistan High Commissioner’s views and stated that both India and Pakistan have excellent friendly relations with Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka’s interest is to see the growth of regional cooperation and friendship,” the statement noted.

“The President did not make any other comment on the issues pertaining to India and Pakistan,” the PMD added.

A decisive round of talks is to be held tomorrow (27) between the President Maithripala Sirisena-led Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa-led Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) on forming a political alliance.

The SLPP team at the discussion is to be led by SLPP National Organiser Basil Rajapaksa and is to include party Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris and MP Dullas Alahapperuma.

The SLFP team will consist of SLFP General Secretary MP Dayasiri Jayasekara, United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) General Secretary MP Mahinda Amaraweera, and MP Lasantha Alagiyawanna.

The SLFP maintains that Tuesday’s discussion would likely be the final discussion since the outcome of the meeting would form the base for the discussion between Sirisena and Rajapaksa in order to reach a final decision on the proposed alliance.

However, the SLPP maintains that since the policies and structure of the proposed alliance had already been discussed between the two parties at previous discussions, Tuesday’s meeting would focus on finalising these issues and forming the base for the party leaders’ discussion.

Nevertheless, the final decision on the proposed alliance would be made by the two party leaders – Sirisena and Rajapaksa.

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is looking at holding separate discussions with the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and its presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

General Secretary of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), MP Mahinda Amaraweera says that arrangements are being made to hold these separate discussions as soon as possible.

Amaraweera explained that separate discussions will be held with Gotabaya since he was not an official member of the SLPP.

According to him, Gotabaya has been extended an invitation to join the SLFP as it would also be the best way to get the SLFP’s support.

Amaraweera noted that the SLFP’s intention was to bring victory to the country and not focus on any individual.

“Therefore there’s a necessity for a common policy framework for the country and such a document is currently being prepared,” he said.

Referring to the SLFP’s stance on the United National Party (UNP), Amaraweera said the SLFP has not taken any decision to hold discussions with UNP on a political alliance.

The political alliance initiated by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) with political parties in the “Joint Opposition” in Parliament is to be formed in September.

A senior SLPP member says the alliance will be named Sri Lanka Podujana Sandhanaya and will be formed in the last week of September or by the first week of October at the latest.

The final decision on forming the alliance was reached at a meeting held last Tuesday (20) under the patronage of SLPP Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris. MPs Dullas Alahapperuma, Dinesh Gunawardena, Wimal Weerawansa, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, and many others had attended the meeting.

All party leaders have approved the draft constitution of the proposed alliance at the meeting.

The SLPP source said that 13 political parties are to form the proposed alliance out of which seven parties are currently represented in Parliament.

The Elections Commission (EC) has decided to seek the Attorney General’s (AG’s) advice on the filling of the parliamentary seat that has fallen vacant following the demise of United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MP Salinda Dissanayake.

The Election Commission initially instructed the Kurunegala District Returning Officer to submit the elections list for the vacant seat.

However, as a number of parties have made written requests regarding the post, the Returning Officer had forwarded the nominations to the Elections Commission.

The Director General of the Elections Commission Saman Sri Ratnayaka in turn has said the list has been referred to the Attorney General’s Department for advice.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has informed the General Secretary of the UPFA to submit a nomination for the national list slot that has fallen vacant by the resignation of MP Shantha Bandara.

Following Dissanayake’s demise, UPFA National List MP Bandara, who is next in line in the Kurunegala District elections list, resigned from the National List slot to re-enter parliament through the Kurunegala District list.

However, an argument was presented by some parties that Bandara despite being the next in line to parliament under the Kurunegala District list, is not eligible to fill the vacancy created by Dissanayake’s demise since he was already an MP appointed through the National List.

Hence, there are now two vacancies in the UPFA list – 1 National List slot and 1 Kurunegala District slot.

A secret operation is being carried out by Ranil Wickremesinghe and several others to secure the presidential candidacy of the United National Front, The Leader reported.

'Green Blood' organiser Lasantha Gunawardena along with Ministers Ravi Karunanayake, Vajira Abeywardena, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Sagala Ratnayake and Thilak Marapana had participated in the secret meeting which was chaired by the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister is due to convene the UNP Working Committee early next week to select a presidential candidate based on the decision taken during this closed-door meeting.

Although the UNP Working Committee consists of more than 90 members, only 63 have been appointed while more than two-thirds of them have openly supported Sajith Premadasa as the Presidential candidate.

30 new appointments to the Working Committee!

Considering this situation, it has been proposed in the above discussion to nominate 30 members to the Working Committee and the relevant names had been decided immediately. The list of names is to be presented to the Elections Secretariat tomorrow (26) and the Working Committee is to then convene for a vote to choose the party’s Presidential candidate.

According to sources, the legal matters in this regard have been assigned to Minister Thilak Marapana, while media operations have been assigned to Lasantha Gunawardena. Ravi Karunanayake has been tasked with coordinating with other UNF parties.

Ranil’s promised deadline almost at an end!

According to the constitution of the UNP, the selection of the presidential candidate must be done by a majority of the members of the party and the members of the working committee at a joint meeting.

Accordingly, more than two-thirds of UNP MPs had written to the Prime Minister on Monday, calling on the Prime Minister to summon the Parliamentary Group and the Working Committee to arrive at an agreement on the Presidential candidate.

Meanwhile, senior ministers Kabir Hashim, Malik Samarawickrema and Ranjith Madduma Bandara, who met the Prime Minister on Wednesday (21), had also made the request and the Prime Minister had promised to take a decision on this by Monday (26). That deadline ends tomorrow.

(Source: theleader.lk)

Another township development project improperly planned by the Urban Development Ministry when Gotabaya Rajapaksa was holding the post of secretary was being completed in a sluggish manner.

The Kottawa, Kaduwela and Kadawatha Township Development Component (3K) had been commenced as a sub component of the Greater Colombo Urban Transport Development Project.

According to the Loan Agreement, the Project should have been completed 31 May 2015.

However, functions which were planned to be carried out under the Project had not been properly performed within the due period, government audit inspection revealed.

As such, this Project is being implemented at present on Treasury provisions without obtaining loans.

Accordingly, expenditure necessary for the staff and administrative purposes had to be incurred from the Consolidated Fund at present due to non-completion of the Project within the due period.

Therefore, a sum of Rs.43.4 million had to be spent therefore from the Consolidated Fund by the end of the 2017/2018 year under review.

Even though salaries for the staff of the Project had been computed erroneously and a sum of Rs.1.91 million had been over paid, the sum so overpaid should have been recoverable.

Moreover, the Project was being completed in a sluggish manner.