It is reported that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is scheduled to visit the famous Tirupati Kovil in India this week.
Accordingly, the Prime Minister will leave for India on December 24 and will return on December 26, sources from the Prime Minister’s Office said.
The visit will be co-sponsored by the Government of India and will be accompanied by the Prime Minister’s Secretary Gamini Senarath, sources said.
Crude oil prices have fallen in the world market due to the spread of the Omicron Covid variant.
Accordingly, the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil at the end of yesterday was 71.52 US dollars, which is a decrease of 2.72%.
The price of a barrel of American WTI crude oil was $ 68.23, and it showed a decrease of 3.71%.
However, fuel prices in Sri Lanka were increased from midnight yesterday (20).
The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has taken steps to increase fuel prices with effect from 12.00 midnight yesterday (20).
Accordingly, the price of 92 octane petrol has been increased by Rs. 20 per liter. Its new price is 177 rupees, up from 157 rupees previously.
The price of 95 octane petrol has been increased by Rs. 23 per liter. Its new price is 207 rupees, up from 184 rupees.
Also, the price of a liter of auto diesel has been increased by 10 rupees from 111 rupees to 121 rupees.
The price of a liter of premium diesel has been increased by 15 rupees. Its new price is 159 rupees, up from 144 rupees previously.
In addition, the price of kerosene has been increased. Accordingly, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation announces that the new price of a liter of kerosene oil which was 77 rupees will be 87 rupees.
Three days ago, Lanka News Web reported that the government was preparing to increase fuel prices, but the Minister in charge of the subject, Udaya Gammanpila, had issued a statement denying this. But now the news has been confirmed.
With 19 more Covid related deaths confirmed by the Director General of Health Services, the death toll due to the Covid-19 outbreak in Sri Lanka has climbed up to 14,771.
Despite numerous occasions in which the President was requested to release former MP Ranjan Ramanayake and the Inter-Parliament Union’s stance on releasing him based on nine key points, the former MP is still imprisoned, said Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa today (20).
The Opposition Leader made this observation following his visit to the Welikada Prison to see Ramanayake this morning.
Pointing out that the former MP is spending a prison sentence for neither theft nor misconduct, Premadasa reminded that Ramanayake was a person who always had stood up for the rights of the people.
When the ones who are responsible for the Sugar Scam, the Coconut Oil Scam, the Gas Cylinder Explosion Mayhem and the Fertiliser Scam are still at large, a man who always spoke the truth on behalf of the people is spending a prison sentence, the Opposition Leader pointed out.
Urging the release of Ramanayake once again in the name of Social Service, Premadasa added that he will continue a democratic struggle for the former MP’s release.
The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) said it would be launching an islandwide strike action from 8 am tomorrow (21), based on seven demands, including resolving issues regarding the granting of post-internship appointments.
The GMOA is still on strike in five districts today, alleging that the Health Secretary has acted arbitrarily in granting post-internship appointments.
The 2022 Budget for the Lindula Urban Council ruled by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has been defeated in a second row.
The Budget was tabled by UC Chairman Lechchumun Bharatidasan and defeated with a majority of two votes.
Two SLPP UC members have also voted in opposition to the Budget, according to reports.
The academic activities of 2022 for Grade 01 students will commence from April, revealed Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena speaking to media in Kandy today (20).
The process of enrolling Grade 01 students will be carried out as usual, he added.
The 2021 Scholarship Examination is expected to be held at the end of February and the G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination will be held thereafter.
The G.C.E. Ordinary Level Examination is set to be held in May next year.
The Representative Conference of the National People’s Power (NPP) led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) is currently being held at the Monarch Imperial Hall of Sri Jayawardenapura.
The conference is being held under the theme, “The Solution to Build a Broken Motherland” and can be viewed live on all NPP/JVP Social Media.
There was no wrongdoing on the part of the Health Ministry in granting post-internship appointments to medical doctors and the appointments were made on a priority basis taking into account the vacancies, said acting Deputy Director General of Health (Health Services) Specialist Dr. G. Wijesuriya, responding to the token strike launched by the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) in five districts in protest of the transfer boards.
There was no need to strike if there was a problem, the acting Deputy Director General noted, in what he described as an act of ‘sabotage,’ adding that such a dispute can be complained to the Public Service Commission.
Dr. Wijesuriya explained that in preparing the transfer boards, vacancy documents are being obtained from the Provincial Directors of Health, District Directors of Health as well as Hospital Directors and given in order of priority.
Revealing that there are about three thousand medical vacancies islandwide, the acting Deputy Director General of Health added that appointments have been made with priority in mind and the GMOA too has been involved in the process to further ensure transparency.
He added that none of the essential services are disrupted by the strike action and the rumours that the Hingurakgoda Covid Treatment Centre was closed were false. As of now, 17 medical officers have been assigned at the centre treating about 120 patients, he added.
About five hundred new appointments will be made today and more than a thousand more will be given appointments by January 15, 2022, the acting Deputy Director General of Health added.
