News

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe instructed the Nuwara Eliya District Secretary and Commissioner to immediately provide 30 acres of abandoned land adjacent to the Ambewela Farm to them and provide the necessary facilities to develop it as grazing land to meet the food requirement of the dairy cows.

President Wickremesinghe issued these instructions during an observation tour of the United Dairies Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd, which belongs to the Ambewela Farm Group.

The President commended the systematic growth achieved by the Ambewela Farm in the dairy production industry adding that it has set an example for other dairy farms as well. The President also instructed to open this farm for research activities for university students in the country to gain experience in the dairy farming field.

General Manager of the Ambewela Farm Group Sarath Bandara said that the Ambewela Farm is the main centre in Sri Lanka as well as in South Asia which can boast of the highest technical application in dairy production and farming technology.

Presently, there are about 1,000 dairy cows at the Ambewela Farm. All activities such as maintaining the dairy cows, providing necessary fodder, weighing, diagnosing diseases and separating them from others are done through an automated system. The cows are milked thrice a day and 40,000 litres of liquid milk is supplied to the market daily.

Around 4,500 cows are currently being fed within the entire Ambewela Farm network. While this institution was under the government before the establishment of the Ambewala Group in 2001, the daily milk production stood at a mere 1,500 litres.

The Ambewela Farm system has been working for the last 15 years to create the best dairy cows for Sri Lanka. Accordingly, none of these dairy cows is imported and only a very few male animals are imported once every few years.

Additionally, around one thousand indirect jobs have been created in the process of providing fodder for the animals on this farm. A mechanism is already in place to get the whole maize plant to the Ambewela Farm from the farmers after harvesting the crop. Accordingly, the Ambewela Farm has facilities to amass around 25,000 metric tons of maize plants annually and store them.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe also inspected the 30 acres of abandoned land in the vicinity of the Ambewela Farm which has been identified as suitable land for the cultivation of grass.

Source: PMD

A meeting took place today (23) to identify and rectify shortcomings in the Police Ordinance to suit the times.

Justice minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe and public security minister Tiran Alles chaired the discussion.

A new act is to be formulated as per recommendations by three committees appointed by the Police Department as well as a draft prepared in 2017.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has ordered the expeditious amendment of the ordinance, the need of which has been highlighted since 2010.

Top officials who attended the meeting included attorney general Sanjaya Rajaratnam, additional solicitor general Nerin Pullai, IGP C.D. Wickremaratne and prisons commissioner general Thushara Upuldeniya.

The Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) today briefed the media on future power plans for Sri Lanka.

The Minister was confident that the 8-hour-long power cuts predicted by some trade unions will not materialise if the requested power tariff increase is granted.

Following are the five key updates provided by the minister and the CEB;

Three shipments of coal for the Norochcholai coal power plant are expected to arrive on the 05th, 09th, and 16th of January 2023. All religious places of worship will be provided with a free-of-charge 05 KW solar power unit. The solar power unit will be provided under an Indian credit facility within around three months. Approval of the Attorney General granted to award the coal tender to an Indonesian company with a local partner. The coal tender has been awarded to the lowest bidder. CEB says electricity tariffs should be increased between 60% – 65%.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has issued a special gazette notification, amending the portfolios of 08 ministries. The amendments are effective from Thursday (Dec 22).

As per the gazette, the Multipurpose Development Task Force Department, which was under the purview of the Ministry of Defence, has been listed under the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils & Local Government.

Meanwhile, the Kidney Fund is now gazetted under the Ministry of Health after it was removed from the portfolio of the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs & Social Empowerment.

The Vidatha Centres, which were under the purview of the Ministry of Education, will now function under the Ministry of Industries.

As per the gazette, the Ministry of Agriculture has been assigned to oversee Regional Economic Centres and the broadening of the market for local farm products. These were previously assigned to the Ministry of Trade, Commerce & Food Security.

Meanwhile, Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duties, No. 02 of 2018 and Safeguard Measures Act, No. 03 of 2018 have been gazetted under the Ministry of Trade, Commerce & Food Security.

Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa left for the United States of America on Monday (26) morning.

He had left for Dubai via the VIP Terminal at the Bandaranaike International Airport, and thereafter will fly to the US.

He was accompanied by former First Lady Ayoma Rajapaksa, son Daminda Rajapaksa, daughter-in-law S. D. Rajapaksa, and his grandchild.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the island nation in July 2022 after a huge crowd stormed his official residence following months of demonstrations sparked by an unprecedented economic crisis.

The 73-year-old announced his resignation from Singapore and spent weeks under virtual house arrest at a Bangkok hotel before his return late on September 2nd.

Prof. Ashu Marasinghe has stepped down as the Presidential Advisor on Parliamentary Affairs with immediate effect.

Marasinghe resigned from the post citing personal reasons, according to the President’s Media Division (PMD).

A total of 309 inmates who were imprisoned for minor offenses and several other reasons have been released on the occasions of Christmas.

Accordingly, 306 male inmates and three female inmates have been released, the Department of Prisons announced.

Lanka Sathosa Limited on Friday (23) announced the price reduction of seven items.

1. Potatoes (1kg) reduced by Rs. 5/- to Rs. 285/-.

2. Big Onions (1kg) reduced by Rs. 5/- to Rs. 185/-.

3. White Sugar (1kg) reduced by Rs. 6/- to Rs. 218/-.

4. Red Dhal (1kg) reduced by Rs. 11/- to Rs. 374/-.

5. 425g canned fish (local) reduced by Rs. 15/- to Rs. 475/-.

6. Chilli (1kg) reduced by Rs. 15/- to Rs. 1,780/-.

7. Sprats (1kg) reduced by Rs. 50/- to Rs. 1,100/-.

Former MP and Presidential Advisor Professor Ashu Marasinghe has lodged a complaint to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) today.

“A false doctored video and pictures regarding my client Prof. Ashu Marasinghe has been released at a press conference” Lawyer Pravi Karunaratne who accompanied Prof. Ashu Marasinghe to CID told reporters.

Lawyer Pravi Karunaratne said that his client filed a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department, prior to this press conference, regarding the existing threat.

“My client and a female had a dispute in a company in which they are directors and a large sum of money was being demanded from my client over the dispute, this threat came in that backdrop” he added.

Former MP Hirunika Premachandra along with a woman claiming as Prof Marasinghe’s ex-lover held a media briefing yesterday and accused Prof. Marasinghe of sexually abusing a pet dog.

“This false incident is now in the hands of the courts. Therefore I will not comment on this any further and my lawyer will explain all details” Prof. Marasinghe said near the CID premises today.

President’s office announced yesterday that Prof.Marasinghe resigned from his Presidential Advisor position.

Dinesh Weerakkody has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Investment.

The appointment was made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Wednesday (21).

Dinesh Weerakkody is a former Chairman of Hatton National Bank PLC and Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC. He is also a former Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka and Vice Chairman of the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors.

According to the President's Media Division, the other board members are Dr. Dushni Weerakoon, Chandani Wijewardena & Eraj de Silva.

The date for the local government election will be announced before the 5th of January 2023.

"The announcement was delayed by a few days due to several factors, although the NEC previously said the date will be announced before the end of December," said Chairman of the Election Commission of Sri Lanka Nimal Punchihewa.

"The calling of nominations will begin 14 days after the announcement," he added.

In the meantime, Executive Director of PAFFREL Rohana Hettiarachchi said, "I will resort to administrative action against the Election Commission if the date isn't announced before the 5th of January."

More than 9,300 police personnel are to be promoted to their immediate higher rank, according to a cabinet decision.

From constable to inspector, 8,312 male and 1,005 female officers will get their long-overdue promotions accordingly.

Ministers approved the relevant paper submitted by public security minister Tiran Alles.