Sri Lankan athlete Nimali Liyanaarachchi accused of trying to get a second house from state

Asian gold medalist Sri Lankan sportswoman, 31-year-old Nimali Liyanaarachchi is accused of attempting to unethically obtain state allocations for building a house, Divaina newspaper reports. 

Nimali Liyanaarachchi tried to obtain funds from the Ministry of Sports to complete building a house in Suriyaweva in Hambanthota district whereas she has already received one house from the state.  

Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF), her employer, gifted her a house in Kottawa in Colombo district in 2016.

Nimali Liyanaarachchi won the gold medal for 800 meters in 2016 and 2017 Asian Games. 

(Photo from SLAF: Nimali Liyanaarachchi ceremonially receiving the 16th house constructed under the "Guwan Lak Sevana” Housing Project, Rukmalgama, Kottawa)

Sri Lanka Ministers Weerawansa and Cabral to provide solutions for import-related issues of local industries

As the local industries in Sri Lanka are facing immense difficulties due to the quarantine curfew and other restrictions, Minister of Industry Wimal Weerawansa said today that necessary actions would be taken within a week to solve the problems faced by the industries due to import restrictions. 

These import restrictions are valid since June 2020 and some industries are paralysed due to short supply of essential raw material that is not produced locally. The industrialists were complaining about these problems for months. Some of the affected industries are export-oriented producers.  

A discussion was held in the Ministry of Industry today regarding these problems under the patronage of Minister Wimal Weerawansa. State Minister for Money & Capital Market and State Enterprise Reforms Ajith Nivard Cabral also participated in the discussion. 

A decision was taken to prepare lists of imports that cannot be locally produced, that can be produced but needed to be imported temporarily and that must not be imported. The lists will be compiled by a committee comprised of officials of the two ministries, Sri Lanka Customs, Board of Investments and Lanka Industrial Development Board. 

Government earns a tax revenue 176% more than the profit of SLT amidst COVID-19

Sri Lanka government earned Rs. 11.8 billion tax revenue from Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) which is 176% above the net profit of the company.

SLT, a telecommunication service provider public and private partnership, has recorded 35% growth, Rs. 67.2 billion income and Rs. 6.7 billion net profit in the first nine months of 2020, performing brilliantly amidst COVID-19 pandemic, the company said in an advertorial published today. 

SLT has paid direct and indirect taxes of Rs. 11.8 billion to the government. The revenue the government earned from SLT is 176% higher than the companies net profit. 

Although SLT Peo TV, SLT Broadband and Mobitel Broadband revenue increased during this period, the revenue from voice calls of SLT and Mobitel declined compared to the last year, the company said. 

Army officer allegedly made death threat to doctors; doctors withdrawn from work; hospital in Mullaithivu paralyzed

Sri Lanka Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi and Army Commander Major General Shavendra Silva have not still responded to the Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) trade union action in Sampathnuwara hospital in Welioya in Mullaithivu district. A spokesman of the GMOA told that the trade union action continued. 

The two medical officers, the doctor in charge of the rental unit and the dental surgeon do not report to work in this rural hospital for about a week now. The people in this remote area are suffering immensely as a result of the trade union action of the GMOA. 

On October 28, Sri Lanka Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) complained to the Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi and Army Commander Shavendra Silva regarding the death threat against the head of Sampathnuwara District Hospital by a senior Army officer. 

According to the letter dated 28 October 2020, sent to the Minister of Health, Brigadier K.K.S. Parakum of Mechanized Infantry Regiment had visited Sampathnuwara District Hospital to discuss converting the hospital into a COVID-19 treatment centre and abused the Head of the Institution and other medical officers using racist and derogatory words. The words include anti-Tamil racist language that called the doctors terrorists. As a trade union action, GMOA has withdrawn the doctors from the service in Sampathnuwara District Hospital.

Sinhala nationalist MP Anupa Pasqual wants village committees set for COVID-19 prevention

Sri Lanka government coalition parliamentarian Anupa Pasqual said that the government must establish committees at village level for COVID-19 prevention. The committee must include public officials like the Grama Seva Niladhari, the midwife aka Family Health Officer, the local government members, local non-allopathic doctors and other relevant village elite.

These village committees can help the villagers to trace contacts, help the patients and associates who are quarantined. 

Kalutara District MP Pasqual, who is active in COVID-19 prevention operations at grassroots level said that the Ayurveda and traditional medicine must be used to build immunity in persons to fight the virus. He pointed out that there is no need to admit each and every patient into hospitals. Most of the patients will fewer complications can stay at home and can be treated with herbal steaming. 

He said he would propose these measures to the local authorities working for COVID-19 prevention in the district. 

Anupa Pasqual and his leader and national list MP Gevindu Kumarathunga represent the Yuthukama organisation, a hardline Sinhala nationalist organisation.  

Basil Rajapaksa has no immediate plan to be sworn in as Minister

Mahinda Pathinrana, promoter of Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's brother Basil Rajapaksa, said in social media that his leader has no plan to be sworn in as a parliamentarian immediately. 

Mahinda Pathirana, an active social media influencer and a university don, is the Chairman of Sri Lanka Press Council. He said that Basil Rajapaksa had no interest in the current political trends and focused on the economy of the country which is monitored by him as the chief of the Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival and Poverty Eradication. 

Recently passed 20th amendment to the constitution re-enabled dual citizens active in politics among other things. Basil Rajapaksa is a dual citizen of the US and Sri Lanka. Many critics say the aim of this particular amendment is bringing Basil Rajapaksa back to a powerful position.   

The story behind the '22nd COVID-19 death' in Sri Lanka

The 22nd COVID-19 death of Sri Lanka was diagnosed after a PCR test conducted posthumously. The 27-year-old man was found hanging from the roof of his house in the early hours of Saturday, October 31. The man was dead when he was admitted to Panadura hospital. The PCR test conducted after his death was found positive later. 

The youth is suspected addicted to drugs. He lived in Wekada village in Panadura. People who gathered in his house after he was found committed suicide are considered associates and PCR tests are to be conducted. 

The deceased showed no specific symptoms of COVID-19, the family says. No COVID-19 positive persons were reported in the village previously. 

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