<ul><li>Urban development/construction/housing sector under scrutiny with legal action pending&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li> Yahapalana-era housing schemes’ ‘massive’ propaganda expenditure and ‘low’ no. of house handovers being probed&nbsp;</li></ul> Investigations are underway into irregularities and corruption that took place in the urban development, construction, and housing sector in the past, and legal action will be taken against anyone found guilty, including government officials, if any, said the Deputy Minister of Urban Development, Construction, and Housing, T.B. Sarath. Speaking to The Daily Morning, he said that if the President, the Cabinet of Ministers, and Parliamentarians serve the country without engaging in corruption and irregularities, public officials should also do the same. “That’s how it should be. Everyone must work in the interest of the people.”He added that several investigations are already in progress into irregularities and corruption that took place in urban development, construction, and housing. "If anyone is found to have committed fraud or misused public funds, they will be held accountable following these investigations. Be they government officials or anyone else, necessary action will be taken against them."Speaking at the weekly Cabinet of Ministers media briefing held yesterday (15), Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said that the United National Front-led Good Governance (Yahapalana) Government had spent several billions of Rupees on propaganda for housing schemes initiated during the 2015–2019 period. He further noted that only 367 houses had been handed over to the public out of the 2,562 planned under the project called ‘Semata Sewana.’ He also stated that 25,543 beneficiaries had been granted loan facilities, while 26,833 individuals had received aid to purchase houses. In addition, he said that Rs. 523.6 million had been spent on propaganda. Investigations are currently being conducted by the National Housing Development Authority and the National Audit Office.The current Government came to power promising to crack down on corruption and clean up State institutions, a message that was welcomed by voters during the last Presidential,Parliamentary General, and Local Government Elections. Since then, there has been a focus on investigating irregularities and the misuse of public funds, especially in key sectors like health, urban development, construction, and housing.In recent months, several politicians including a number of ministers of previous governments and government officials have been arrested or are under investigation for various charges related to financial misconduct and the abuse of power.&nbsp;

Construction/Urban development: Probes underway into corrupt 

<ul><li>Environmentalists seek experts’ probe comm. into ‘flaws’ in treatment/care&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li> Wildlife DG ordered to take steps for strict enforcement of law against wild animal shooters&nbsp;</li></ul> Injured tusker ‘Bhathiya’ who was receiving treatment for several days for gunshot wounds succumbed yesterday morning (15) in Polpithigama.Veterinarians and a team of experts treated ‘Bhathiya’ for gunshot wounds sustained approximately two months ago. Subsequently, the wild tusker recently fell into a water pit and met with an accident.Following a gunshot injury, a team led by the former Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Peradeniya, Prof. Ashoka Dangolla, worked around the clock to provide treatment. However, veterinarians stated that the tusker was in critical condition due to muscle degeneration and impaired blood circulation. After receiving treatment for several days, the tusker was turned to the other side on Monday (14), in an attempt to support recovery.‘Bhathiya’ was between 30 and 35 years of age.Environmentalists, alleging that the treatment and care for the wounded wild elephant Bhathiya were not handled in a proper manner, urged that an independent expert committee be appointed to probe the elephant’s death and to take action against the responsible parties. Addressing a press briefing yesterday (15), the Wildlife Conservation Forum's Secretary&nbsp;Nayanaka Ranwella further&nbsp;opined that the improper provision of treatment and care may have exacerbated the elephant’s condition. He added that the elephant’s death sends a message that environmental conservation and land management should be handled scientifically and according to a national plan. Among the treatment and care-related concerns raised by Ranwella were, not conducting an x-ray of the elephant’s leg swelling when it was first found in May, not providing a platform to support the elephant’s legs to hold its body weight, using unsuitable straps and unsuitable methods to lift the elephant, keeping the elephant in water during the provision of treatments, and flaws in obtaining blood for tests, and in the diagnosis. He alleged that despite instructions, internationally accepted practices were not followed, and that the relevant authorities did not have adequate knowledge about managing the situation.Attempts to contact the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC)&nbsp;regarding these allegations were not successful.Meanwhile, a meeting was held yesterday at the Ministry of Environment with officials from the DWC, aimed at tightening laws against the shooting of wild elephants. The discussion was chaired by the Minister of Environment, Dr. Dammika Patabendi. Incidents involving the shooting of wild elephants are regularly reported to the department. Therefore, Dr. Patabendi instructed the Director General of the department to take the necessary steps to strictly enforce the law against such acts. The discussion also focused on strengthening the process of punishing offenders by updating laws related to the killing of wild animals. It also emphasised enforcing strict laws against the illegal construction of electric fences on private lands, which often harm elephants. To help reduce the human-elephant conflict, the ministry and the department are working together on long-term, positive solutions. Accordingly, elephant fences are being built in districts with frequent elephant encounters. Furthermore, multi-purpose officers have been recruited for the maintenance of these fences. Additionally, the involvement of Civil Defence personnel is being considered to further reduce incidents of wild elephant shootings. The department announced that a special media briefing will be held in the coming days to inform the public about these initiatives.

 ‘Bhathiya’ the tusker dies 

<ul><li>Oppo. walks out of Seethawaka PS again&nbsp;over secret ballot to elect Chair; SJB expels 6 Beruwala Urban Councillors&nbsp;</li></ul> Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stated that the ruling National People’s Power (NPP) had not entered into any political agreements with other parties to form administrations in Local Government (LG) bodies.He made these comments at the weekly Cabinet of Ministers media briefing held yesterday (15), in response to questions raised by the media regarding recent developments in the Beruwala Urban Council (UC).Commenting on the Samagi Jana Balawegaya’s (SJB) councillors’ support to the NPP in forming the administration of the Beruwala UC, Minister Dr. Jayatissa clarified that the NPP had secured leadership with the backing of a few Opposition members, but without any formal alliances. He further pointed out that the SJB had previously taken control of the Beruwala Pradeshiya Sabha (PS) with just 10 out of 43 councillors, and that the NPP had now followed a similar approach to secure the administration of the said UC with only three members. “No one questioned how that happened,” he said. He also said that the SJB General Secretary, Parliamentarian Ranjith Madduma Bandara, had issued written instructions to party councillors, urging them not to support the NPP’s nominee, but to vote for any other person contesting for the Chairpersonship. However, he said that the councillors had defied this directive and voted in favour of the NPP candidate. He also highlighted that the party had not entered into any deals or negotiations with other political parties, and that in certain cases, support from Opposition members had been extended independently.Meanwhile, the election to appoint a new Chairperson for the Seethawaka PS has been delayed once again after members of the Opposition staged a walkout yesterday.&nbsp;A meeting was convened under the leadership of the Western Province Local Government Commissioner Sarangika Jayasundara last morning to appoint a new Chairperson for the Seethawaka PS. During the session, Opposition members walked out in protest against the decision to hold a secret ballot to elect the Chairperson. Due to the lack of quorum as a result, Jayasundara decided to postpone the session indefinitely.A prior attempt was also made to appoint a new Chairperson, during which a decision had to be made whether to conduct a secret or open ballot.&nbsp;Jayasundara had the authority to make that decision and chose to proceed with a secret ballot. Opposition members, protesting this decision, walked out of the session at that time as well.Earlier, on Monday (14), the Court of Appeal dismissed a petition seeking an injunction to prevent Jayasundara from conducting a secret ballot to elect the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Seethawaka PS, which was filed by Opposition members of the PS.Elsewhere, the SJB, has taken steps to expel six of its councillors elected to the Beruwala UC who supported the NPP in forming the Council’s administration, according to SJB General Secretary Madduma Bandara.

LG bodies control: NPP says no deals/alliances to form admins.

:The individual who sustained injuries in the shooting incident in Mirigama had succumbed while receiving treatment at the hospital, the Police stated.Later, the person had been admitted to the Mirigama Base Hospital for medical treatments, where he succumbed to his injuries.

 Mirigama shooting victim dies

<ul><li> Plans to assign some recruits to tourism</li></ul> Steps will be taken to promptly grant appointments to 304 Ayurvedic doctors, as approval for these appointments has already been granted, Minister of Health Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said.Dr. Jayatissa further stated that while there are over 1,000 doctors in the field of Ayurveda, not all of them can be absorbed into the State service.These remarks were made during a special meeting held following an inspection visit by him to the Kaithady Siddha Teaching Hospital in Jaffna, which operates under the Department of Indigenous Medicine of the Ministry of Health.He noted that after providing residential training to these doctors, opportunities could be created for them to work either locally or abroad. Additionally, there is consideration being given to whether a portion of them could later be recruited by the Government and assigned to the tourism sector.Meanwhile, Dr. Jayatissa emphasised that the ministry is responsible not only for Western medicine but also for indigenous systems like Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani. He pointed out that in the current Budget, a larger allocation has been made for the indigenous medical sector compared to Western medicine.

300+ Ayurveda docs to receive appointments

<ul><li>Main role of Police is to provide security/support to excavations; not to initiate the same: Public Security Min.</li><li>Public Security Min. claims many of those speaking out had the authority to take action before</li></ul> The Police will obtain the necessary approval from the respective courts and take appropriate action to excavate mass graves, if any, if related complaints are received, said the Minister of Public Security, Ananda Wijepala.Speaking to The Daily Morning, he said that the role of the Police is to provide security and support excavation activities related to mass graves – not to initiate such excavations on their own. “The Police don’t have to go around digging up graves. That responsibility lies with the Ministry of Justice. We only provide the necessary security. However, if there’s a complaint about a mass grave, the Police will report it to court and carry out any required actions, including excavations, based on the court’s instructions.”Responding to recent political commentary on the issue of mass graves in the country, he said that many of those speaking out now were in power for years and had the authority to take action back then. “Some of them even held key positions like the Minister of Justice. If they were serious about these issues, they could’ve done something at the time.”Sri Lanka has a long history with mass graves, many of which are believed to be linked to the country’s decades-long civil conflict and political violence. One of the most well-known cases is the discovery of a mass grave in Chemmani, Jaffna, in the late 1990s. This grave was said to contain the remains of people who had disappeared during military operations in the North.Over the years, several other sites have been discovered, especially in areas that saw heavy fighting or where enforced disappearances were reported. Among them are the mass graves found in Mannar (Thiruketheeswaram), Matale, Kalavanchikudy, and more recently in Kokkuthuduwai and Mullaitivu. Human rights groups and families of the missing have consistently called for independent investigations, but progress has often been slow due to various reasons.

Mass graves: Police to act on complaints 

<ul><li> 850 graduates to be recruited&nbsp;</li></ul> Two gazette notifications are scheduled to be issued on 18 July, to facilitate the appointment of nursing offices to fill existing vacancies, the Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa has announced.Speaking at the weekly Cabinet of Ministers press briefing held yesterday (15), he stated that steps will be taken to recruit and provide training to 2,650 students who sat for the General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (G.C.E. A/L) Examination in 2020, 2021, and 2022 as nurses, along with 850 individuals who completed nursing degrees. “We are currently facing a shortage of nursing staff. In the Northern Province alone, there are 33 rural hospitals without a single nurse,” he said. “To address this, we will issue a gazette notification on 18 July to recruit 2,650 student nurses from eligible candidates who sat for the G.C.E. A/L Examinations in 2020, 2021, and 2022. These individuals will have the opportunity to apply for nurse training programmes. In addition, we will recruit 850 graduates who have previously obtained nursing degrees into the public service. A separate gazette notification will be issued for this purpose on the same day,” he added.&nbsp;Accordingly, the Ministry of Health will proceed with the dual recruitment drive to both commence training for new candidates and absorb qualified graduates into the nursing workforce.

Nursing shortages: 2,650 A/L students to be trained 

<ul><li>‘We have no alternative to deal with terrorism’: Min.</li></ul> The Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act as amended (PTA) will not be applied to any particular race, ethnicity or religion, but solely based on the context or specific incident, said Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa.Speaking at the weekly Cabinet media briefing yesterday (15), he stated that such interpretations would be rejected by the Government as ‘misleading’. He added that arrests made under the Act would not target any particular religion or ethnic group. He made these comments in response to a question raised at the press conference regarding the alleged public perception that the PTA is used to ‘hunt’ Muslims and Tamils. He further stated that arrests would be made according to the specific context and events, and that detentions would follow accordingly. He also mentioned that the PTA is expected to be repealed once the committee appointed to review the Act completes its work. He noted that the authorities are currently in the process of amending the PTA, and said that the Government must continue to use the law until a new piece of legislation is passed to address the legal gap created by its repeal. “In every country, there are laws to address terrorism. Such laws are necessary. Therefore, at this point, we have no alternative to deal with terrorism if we repeal the PTA. If we do, we must introduce a new law to fill that gap. We are working on it,” he said.The Ministry of Justice and National Integration has announced that a committee has been appointed to look into the repealing of the PTA. The committee is chaired by President’s Counsel Rienzie Arsecularatne and it was expected to begin public consultations in May.The Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act as amended (PTA) will not be applied to any particular race, ethnicity or religion

Construction/Urban development: Probes underway into corrupt ...

‘Bhathiya’ the tusker dies

‘Bhathiya’ the tusker dies

LG bodies control: NPP says no deals/alliances to form admins.

LG bodies control: NPP says no ...

Mirigama shooting victim dies

Mirigama shooting victim dies

300+ Ayurveda docs to receive appointments

300+ Ayurveda docs to receive ...

Mass graves: Police to act on complaints

Mass graves: Police to act on ...

Nursing shortages: 2,650 A/L students to be trained

Nursing shortages: 2,650 A/L s ...

PTA utilisation: Not against race, ethnicity, religion: Govt. claims

PTA utilisation: Not against r ...

Assault by seniors: 4 undergrads hospitalised

Assault by seniors: 4 undergra ...

‘Bhathiya’ the tusker dies

‘Bhathiya’ the tusker dies

LG bodies control: NPP says no deals/alliances to form admins.

LG bodies control: NPP says no ...

Mirigama shooting victim dies

Mirigama shooting victim dies

300+ Ayurveda docs to receive appointments

300+ Ayurveda docs to receive ...

Mass graves: Police to act on complaints

Mass graves: Police to act on ...

Nursing shortages: 2,650 A/L students to be trained

Nursing shortages: 2,650 A/L s ...

PTA utilisation: Not against race, ethnicity, religion: Govt. claims

PTA utilisation: Not against r ...

Assault by seniors: 4 undergrads hospitalised

Assault by seniors: 4 undergra ...

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‘Bhathiya’ the tusker dies

‘Bhathiya’ the tusker dies

LG bodies control: NPP says no deals/alliances to form admins.

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Mirigama shooting victim dies

Mirigama shooting victim dies

300+ Ayurveda docs to receive appointments

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Mass graves: Police to act on complaints

Mass graves: Police to act on ...

Nursing shortages: 2,650 A/L students to be trained

Nursing shortages: 2,650 A/L s ...