Stocks of 525 types of medicines and 5376 types of surgical equipment have run out, announced the Society of Government Pharmacists announced in a statement.
The depletion is 38.7 per cent for medicines and 62.9 per cent for surgical equipment, it revealed.
The Union added that although it had informed the authorities that the situation had been developing in the country for about four months, no positive intervention was made. In the future the hospital system may collapse and patients would become extremely helpless, it added.
The teachers and principals of all government schools island wide will withdraw from services on April 25, said Joseph Stalin, Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers Union, speaking to a briefing held today (21) at the GotaGoGoma Media Centre in Galleface as the Teacher-Principal Alliance.
The decision was taken as the Education Secretary had denied a written request to allow teachers to work at their nearest school if the fuel problem could not be resolved quickly, he added.
Engineer Vijitha Herath who serves as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Insurance has been appointed as the new Chairman of the LITRO Gas Company, following predecessor Theshara Jayasinghe’s resignation.
Three senior police officials including SSP in charge of the Kegalle Division K.B. Keerthiratne, the SP of Rambukkana and the OIC of Rambukkana have been transferred with immediate effect to allow the victims and witnesses of the Rambukkana Police shooting to participate in the investigations and court proceedings, the Police Spokesman said.
The LITRO Gas Company has temporarily halted the distribution of domestic gas cylinders till April 25.
A ship carrying 3,600 metric tonnes of gas is set to arrive in Sri Lanka on April 25 and another vessel of 3,600 metric tonnes on April 27.
In the backdrop, the existing stocks will be distributed only to essential service providers such as hospitals, hotels and security forces, reports added.
Former Finance Minister and National Organiser of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Basil Rajapaksa was seen at the Parliamentary complex today (21).
The former Minister has reportedly attended a special Party Leaders’ Meeting.
Media reports claimed that Rajapaksa was infected with Covid-19 and even some reports claimed that the former Finance Minister had left the country.
The Presidential Commission of Inquiry appointed to probe the Easter Sunday Massacre concluded that an unrest was created in the country for the assurance of the victory of one presidential candidate of the 2019 Presidential Polls who promised national security, Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said, speaking to a function held at the St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade today (21) marking the third anniversary of the genocide that killed more than 270 lives on an Easter Sunday.
The act of falsely charging and arresting security officials who were on their way to arrest the extremist group led by Zahran Hashim upon learning their plan to terrorise the country and later exchanging a secret letter for the assurance of ‘their own safety’ is disgustingly remarked in the Commission report, the Cardinal emphasised.
“These words imply that the Intelligence Units and the Rulers had crossed the nations creating an unrest in the country by deliberately concealing intelligence received on the Easter Attack and preventing any attempts to avert the Attack, in a bid to convey the advantage of the situation to one particular candidate, who had promised national security in his coming at the November, 2019 Presidential Election and hand over power to one party,” the Cardinal alleged.
He went on: “The act of falsely charging and arresting the team of officials who were on their way to arrest the group led by Zahran upon learning their tendencies of terror and the armory at Wanathawilluwa barring the mission and later exchanging a secret letter among the officials for the assurance of their own safety, while giving zero contemplation to those injured and killed should be remarked with utter disgust.”
Condemning former President Sirisena’s conduct throughout the process, the Cardinal added that the Commission report also reveals that President Sirisena had denied the requests made by security officials to arrest Hahsim by warning them ‘not to drag themselves into trouble by welcoming serpents at their doorstep.‘
“Mr. Sirisena’s conduct is a serious breach of responsibility and a gross negligence, the Commission report states. Although the Commission report states that he was guilty of a criminal offense via his negligence and the Attorney General, therefore should prosecute him under the provisions of the Penal Code, we cannot understand whatsoever as to why neither the Attorney General nor the government had not acted in this regard. If so, us and the general public of this country have serious doubts as to whether the present government is protecting the former President for fear of exposing their involvement in the Easter Attack through high-ranking government officials. Despite the Presidential Commission’s recommendations on prosecuting many high ranking officials, including the former President, former Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara, former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former Director of the State Intelligence Service Deputy Inspector General of Police Nilantha Jayawardena over serious breach of responsibility and gross negligence, the Attorney General’s Department, as well as the government, not acting on such a move raises suspicion as to whether they fear of more hidden information about the attack getting leaked,” the Cardinal noted.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) C.D. Wickramaratne has ordered Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) W. Thilakaratne to conduct an impartial and comprehensive probe into the events happened in Rambukkana two days (19) ago.
K.B. Chaminda Lakshan, a resident of Hiriwadunna, Naranbedda was killed in the shooting and the IGP has instructed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to submit an interim report within three days of the probe being handed over to the CID, in terms of Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The funeral of the victim is due to be held in Hiriwadunna, Naranbedda, Devalagama Police Division on 22.
The IGP has also requested the Defence Secretary to assist the military in maintaining peace in the area until the burial is completed.
Following the IGP’s request, the Tri-Forces have been called in to maintain peace covering the Kegalle District via the extraordinary Gazette declaration of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka No. 2272/10 dated 21.03.2022, in compliance with the powers vested in the President under Article 12(1) of the Public Security Act,
Accordingly, the Tri-Forces will provide security covering the Police Divisions of Devalagama, Rambukkana and Kegalle until 23.04.2022.
A plot is under operation to remove Rohini Marasinghe from her post as the Chairwoman of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), sources said.
The HRCSL being independently and indiscriminately operated under Marasinghe, a retired Supreme Court Justice, is no secret given the Commission’s honest service over the years, which, according to sources, has become a headache to certain figures in the government.
In addition to her role as the HRCSL Chairwoman, Marasinghe also serves in the Tax Appeals Commission, considered of which these figures in the government are formulating the argument that a single person cannot serve in two commissions at once, in their plot to oust her from the HRCSL, sources further told LNW.
LNW earlier disclosed that the shooting at a public protest in Rambukkana area on April 19 was carried out under the orders of the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in charge of the Kegalle Division K.B. Keerthiratne.
SSP Keerthiratne is a close relative of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Chief Security Officer Neville Wanniarachchi. Keerthiratne was enrolled as a sub inspector via the Police Sub Service and was attached to the Police Service later to be promoted to the post of SSP under the influence of Neville Wanniarachchi’s kinship.
SSP Keerthiratne is a well known ‘drunk’ who is not ashamed of staying in the line of duty in his drunken state. He is also known to be a character who tries to score upon every chance he gets and this behaviour of his has also led to the events at Rambukkana, to score by ordering the shooting, sources said.
However, sources also claimed that President Rajapaksa is very unhappy over the Rambukkana shooting and even prior to this incident had instructed the Security Chiefs at last week’s Security Council meeting not to retaliate even if protesters of anti-government pickets attacked the Police.
It is an undeniable fact that President Rajapaksa, despite all criticisms levelled against him, had never ordered to shoot down or suppress a single peaceful protest over the last two years of his term in Office. The President also reminded that international cooperation was the number one priority for the country at this moment and urged all security personnel not to take any repressive measures risking the international support.
Sources added that the President is of the opinion that this shooting in such a backdrop is not acceptable at all. International pressure is already being exerted as many foreign ambassadors have called President Rajapaksa and condemned the terror at Rambukkana over the last two days.
Chances are high that Keerthiratne will be brought to justice over this most barbaric event happened two days ago, but the SSP, under his usual dosage, is still reported to be boasting about what happened, saying ‘Even if Minister Dilum doesn’t save me, Neville will save me for sure. The man is my relative. I came this far because of him,’ LNW learned.
Should Keerthiratne continue to avoid the severity of his actions, needless to say that the Prime Minister’s Chief Security Officer Wanniarachchi too will be in big trouble!
