A man was killed during a clash at a fuel station in Horagolla, Nittambuwa, Police said.
The victim, 29 and a motorcyclist, was a resident of Colombo 14 and succumbed to his injuries upon being admitted to the Wathupitiwala Hospital, according to Police.
He was attacked by a sharp weapon during a clash between a him and a three wheeler driver at the station.
The suspect has fled the scene and the Nittambuwa Police are conducting investigations to capture the suspect.
MIAP
A Russian woman has died in a road accident in Ahangama, Galle yesterday (20), Police said.
The victim, 38, was riding a motorcycle which collided with a threewheeler parked on the roadside as she tried to overtake a sand lorry from the left side, and thrown under the lorry.
The victim was a resident of Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia.
Ahangama Police are conducting further investigations.
Many Sri Lankans lost their lives on several occasions due to wrong decisions made by the Government pushing the people to wait in long queas to purchase LP Gas and fuel paying high prices.
One such incident is the gas crisis, when authorities allegedly changed the composition of gas cylinders, causing accidents due to gas leaks and explosions throughout the country.
Investigations have revealed that 7 persons were killed and nearly 100 were injured in these incidents, and by today, justice has not been carried out with regard to these incidents.
None of the authorities responsible for the damage done to the general public of the country has been punished, and nobody has been held liable.
Another instance is when the fertilizer crisis took place, as the sudden decision to ban chemical fertilizer rendered the farmers helpless, and harvests were affected.
Farmers who were supposed to be at the paddy fields took to the streets for weeks, and today the whole country suffers due to that decision.
Now, Sri Lankans remain in queues for essential items for days, while at the same time suffering from hunger and a number of other issues.
People are sometimes collapsing while they stand in queues, while two lives have already been claimed by this disaster.
As not any other country in the region experiences these issues, as the question remains who is liable for these crises in the country.
What is imperative, however, is that only people are able to stand for the people, at present.
In this set up two LP Gas providers enjoying oligopoly have been allowed to increase the prices of LP Gas arbitrarily with no intervention of the government to provide relief to consumers most of them are ruling party supporters who voted this SLPP to power.
The present rulers are just gazing at long queues to buy LP Gas and fuel doing nothing to provide any relief amidst unbearable price hikes as if they were deaf and blind distancing from their responsibility of the pledge given to the public for “ Prosperity and Splendour” Laugfs Gas PLC, one of the main liquefied petroleum gas suppliers in Sri Lanka, announced a staggering hike in the rates of its products today (March 20).
Thereby, the price of a 12.5kg domestic LP gas cylinder soared to Rs. 4,199. Meanwhile, the price of a 5kg cylinder increased to Rs. 1,680 while the price of a 2kg cylinder rose to Rs. 672.
A spokesperson of the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) said LP gas companies are allowed to revise the prices at their discretion after the price control on LP gas was lifted.
Accordingly, the prices of domestic LP gas cylinders issued to the market are decided by the companies, the spokesperson added.
The LP gas companies are however instructed to inform the CAA about price revisions. The CAA said the Laugfs Gas PLC is yet to convey its move to the authority.
Sri Lanka is currently afflicted by a shortage of LP gas due to the ongoing forex crisis. Long queues are still seen outside LP gas distribution centres across the island
Litro Gas limited has reportedly requested the government to increase the price of a 12.5 kg gas cylinder by Rs. 850.
12.5 kg litro domestic gas cylinder is currently sold at Rs. 2,750. In October 2021, the 12.5 kg litro domestic gas cylinder was sold for less than Rs 1500.
Litro resumed gas distribution to several areas recently. However, still long gas queues were witnessed in some areas of the country.
In the past weeks, gas distribution had been disrupted as there were issues in opening LCs for gas purchases due to the dollar shortage.
People’s Leasing and Finance PLC has joined hands with the Management of Beddagana Wetland Park and installed awareness boards on environment and biodiversity based on a need identification.
Through this environmental initiative, People’s Leasing and Finance PLC collaborated with the Beddagana Wetland Park as a partner in conservation with the primary objective of assisting in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and educating locals and foreign visitors about the biodiversity and ecosystems, the company said.
The boards were unveiled for public display by Ms. Chandana Kalupahana, Director – Environment and Land Scape Division in the Urban Development Authority in the presence of Shamindra Marcelline, Chief Executive Officer/General Manager, People’s Leasing and Finance PLC and Laksanda Gunawardene, Deputy General Manager (Operations), People’s Leasing and Finance PLC on March 10. Along with this occasion, tree planting was held to symbolise this event.
Beddagana Wetland Park is a key flood detention area and a nature park with scenic beauty. It has a high biodiversity value as the park is located within the declared Kotte Bird Sanctuary. The park is managed by the Environment and Land Scape Division of the Urban Development Authority.
The Wetland Park is a home to many birds, other animals and insects such as butterflies, dragonflies and mammals out of which some are endemic to Sri Lanka. Further, there is also a wide variety of plants and trees to be found at the Beddagana Wetland Park.
In an attempt to introduce more leisure opportunities to the public, the Government has taken steps to revamp the Beddagana Wetland Park into a public attraction. This new development is set to give the people of Colombo and its suburbs the opportunity to see rare species of plants and animals without having to travel far.
The project comes under a larger development initiative conducted by the Urban Development Authority (UDA) to renovate and maintain all of Sri Lanka’s leisure parks. The initiative is carried out under the instructions of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, in his capacity as the Minister of Urban Development, Water Supply, and Housing, who also recently expedited its progress.
“Under this programme, the Beddagana Wetland Park, a wetland park with rare fauna and flora close to Colombo, has been declared an ideal place for the public to come and relax with their families.”
The wetland park was initially constructed back in 2014 spreads over an area of 20 hectares and is located in close proximity to the Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte Bird Sanctuary and the Parliament Complex.
The park is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, including rare wetland plants like white lilies and induru.
Kalupahana stated that housing such a rare ecosystem and being located close to Colombo, the park has the unique ability to facilitate both schoolchildren and university students on research matters.
“The Beddagana Wetland Park has been set up in such a way that people can use it for both relaxing as well as for research purposes, given its abundance in flora and fauna.”
Wetland ecosystems are considered rarities around the world, especially in urban settings such as this. However, she explained that Colombo is fortunate enough to host several wetland parks within its city limits and suburbs.
“There are a large number of wetlands in urban Sri Lanka. With the current rate of urbanisation seen in the world, there is a decrease in such open spaces, making the presence of these wetlands in an urban city very special. In this context, both Colombo and Kotte have the fortune of hosting several wetland ecosystems.
The Sri Lanka Government is approaching bilateral partners for assistance to deal with the current economic crisis in the form of loans and currency swap facilities,Finance Ministry sources said.
Bangladesh has extended US$ 200 million currency swap facility. China extended US$ 1.5 billion swap facility.
Sri Lanka has also received US$ 700 million from China Development Bank. India has so far committed financial assistance to the tune of US$ 2.4 billion.
It includes: (a) US$ 400 million under the SAARC currency swap arrangement; (b) deferral of A.C.U. settlement of US$ 515.2 million by two months; (c) US$ 500 million for importing fuel from India; and (d) US$ 1 billion for importing food, essential items, and medicine.
In addition to this, Indian Oil Corporation has supplied 40,000 Metric Tonnes of fuel on 60 days credit.
As part of the financial assistance package, India has also agreed to positively contribute to enhance Sri Lanka’s energy security by signing an MoU to jointly develop the Trincomalee oil tank farms.
Indian government will be providing all kinds of assistance to tap Indian tourists for strengthening Sri Lanka’s tourism sector as well as enhancing Indian investments in Sri Lanka.
Pakistan and Qatar have also agreed to provide assistance. Pakistan has agreed to extend US$ 200 million credit lines to import cement, basmati rice and medicines manufactured in Pakistan.
Details of these assistance are yet to be finalized between the two countries. Reportedly, the Central Bank has commenced discussions with the Qatar Central Bank to obtain a swap of over US$ 1 billion.
One agreement entered into in Colombo on Friday is a Joint Venture and Shareholders’ Agreement (JVSHA) for the Trincomalee Power Company Ltd (TPCL) through which National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Ltd from India and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) will develop a 100MW solar power plant at Sampur in Trincomalee.
While it was not announced, the CEB also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with India’s Adani Green Energy Ltd to develop a 500MW wind power project in Mannar with an investment fo around US$ 500 milion .
. It is already in a joint venture with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority and John Keells Holdings to develop and operate the West Container Terminal in the Colombo Port.
The Sampur JVSHA is an amended version of the JV agreement signed between the NTPC and the CEB in 2011 for setting up the Trincomalee Coal Power Plant to build and operate the now-cancelled Indian coal power plant in Sampur.
India has called for a road map from Sri Lanka on how it is going to overcome its economic crisis in the long term while also making a long list of economic cum strategic demands for implementation in the North and the East of Sri Lanka.
These demands involve a string of maritime security agreements that will strengthen India’s strategic interests, particularly around the Eastern Trincomalee harbour.
These include Donier surveillance aircraft for the Sri Lanka Air Force and a ship repair dock for Sri Lanka Navy in Trincomalee
One of the key pressure points from the Indian Government was to start a solar power project in Sampur.
India also wants to enter into the renewable energy field in the Delft islet after it scuttled a Chinese company securing the project following an Asian Development Bank (ADB) tender procedure.
As Sri Lanka struggles with increasing inflation and depleting foreign reserves, the government unveiled a new scheme recently to tackle skyrocketing essential commodity and food prices.
The country’s retail inflation hit a new high of 15.1 percent while fod inflation spiked to 25.7 percent in February – the highest in a decade , owing mostly to governments ad hoc policy decisions and patch work .
These back firing policies have wreaked havoc on the country’s tourism and migrant worker remittance -dependent economy.
The government enforced import bans and raised fuel prices earlier to shore up its currency reserves, resulting in shortages and spiking costs of essential items.
Many goods and medicines have increased by around 30 percent, with some essential items growing even more.
Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena recently disclosed that “ the ministry is introducing a new system to prevent consumers from paying black market prices for in-demand commodities.”
Import restrictions and increased fuel prices have been implemented by the government, resulting in shortages of essential food and non food items.
He said“To meet the shortage, the government has imported rice, which is now being sold at Rs140) per kilo in all trade outlets, compared to the market price of Rs240 per kilo.” Traders and the government should work together to alleviate the hardships of the common man.”
Retailers, on the other hand, believe they have little alternative but to boost prices since rising fuel prices have disrupted supply lines.
Delivery from adjacent villages has practically come to a standstill, according to vegetable dealers in Colombo, who claim that 75 percent of their supply has not made it to the capital city Colombo’s market places.
Sri Lanka National Medicine Regulatory Association (NMRA) has given permission to raise drug prices by 29 percent on the request of private importers due to steep depreciation of rupee against the US dollar.
Meanwhile, the Federation for Health Professionals (FHP) said, state hospitals are experiencing a shortage of more than 50 essential drugs and specialists have had to plan their treatments with just a few of the more affordable substitute medicines.
“The NMRA is a farce. It is a dangerous farce. If the rulers want to keep prices down, not only of drugs but of all goods, first follow prudent monetary and fiscal policies that allows for exchange rates to be stable” several eminent economists said.
The Essential Foods Importers’ Association says that the prices of many essential food items have increased by 30 to 40 percent .
Its media spokesperson, Nihal Seneviratne stated that the price increases were caused due to the prevailing dollar crisis.
Prices of many items were increased last Friday (10) and Sunday (13), with an increase in bus fares and three wheeler fares on Tuesday (15).
Ceylon Petroleum Corporation raised fuel prices by about 75 percent. While a kilo of wheat flour price was raised by Rs.35, price of a loaf of bread went up by Rs.110 to 130, indicating a rise of about 60 to 70 percent.
Private bus owners have increased bus fares with the initial fare at Rs.20 while three wheeler drivers have jacked up fares to Rs 60 per kilometer and the fare of first kilometer fixed at Rs.80. .
When these price hikes took place, the cost of food had already gone up by 25 percent.
Container transporters’ association announced a 60 percent hike in transport hires. With such heavy increases in transport cost, all items including consumer goods will see an increase of about 40 percent or more in prices this week.
With price controls removed, prices of goods in the coming weeks will be decided by the dollar crisis in foreign exchange. That would also decide scarcities of goods in the market.
The example of making commitments should be set by the rulers instead of urging the public to make commitments, said Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa, speaking at the occasion of donating computer and digital equipment to Wimalawansa Junior School, Bopitiya, Akuressa to create digital classrooms two days ago (18) under the islandwide ‘Sakwala’ initiative undertaken by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) to develop digital skills of the younger generation in Sri Lanka.
The only way out the crisis befallen the country would be through digital and information technology as well a programme that focuses on that sector, the Opposition Leader emphasised.
“As a country we are in a very difficult situation. The country is heading towards devastation due to the incompetence, arrogance and hypocrisy of the current regime. The dollar reserves of the country have plummeted. “
“As a country we are in a very difficult situation. Today the country is heading towards destruction due to the incompetence, arrogance and hypocrisy of the present government. The country’s dollar reserves have plummeted. A vicious circle has been created. Go to the capital market and get a low interest dollar loan. A vicious circle has been created. The revenue dropped due to the tax concessions given. As a country, we cannot reach out the international capital markets and borrow dollars at low interest rates,” the Opposition Leader noted.
He went on: “In the backdrop, there are no dollars to purchase oil. When there is no oil the electricity is cut off. When the power goes off, factories become dysfunctional. When the factories become dysfunctional, the production of export goods in our country drops. Then we may lose the export markets as we are not able to supply the products requested by the export market on time. As the exports are dropped, so are the dollars. This is the vicious cycle. The vicious cycle has led to the country’s toxic cycle. There is a solution to this. The rulers should be initiating the making of commitments. They should be exemplary characters.”
MIAP
The National People’s Power (NPP) is scheduled to hold a massive rally in Nugegoda on March 23, in objection to the repressive administration of the government, said Party Leader MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The entire economy has collapsed due to the Sri Lankan Rupee being depreciated sharply against the US Dollar leading to a black economy, MP Dissanayake pointed out, adding that the suffering of the people has doubled and even tripled amidst the situation.
The JVP and NPP Leader also noted that the government has failed to provide the people with essential commodities and essential services at reasonable prices, adding that the percentage by which the commodity prices are surged and the rate of increase in prices have gone up more than ever.
Ousting the repressive regime, a people’s government should be established and the NPP is ready to give leadership to it, he further noted.
MIAP
Former MP Ranjan Ramanayake who was in the Welikada Prison Hospital has been transferred to the National Hospital in Colombo for further treatments.
Ramanayake was admitted to the orthopaedic clinic of the National Hospital this (20) morning and doctors have recommended that the former MP be given residential treatment.
Accordingly, the former MP is being treated under the care of prison officials, reports added.
MIAP
A person has died during a fuel queue. The death was reported from a petrol station in Kadawatha.
The victim, 71, was a resident of Makola and suddenly fell while waiting in line to get petrol, Police said.
He was rushed to the Ragama Hospital after which his death was pronounced.
A similar death was reported at a petrol shed in Kandy yesterday.
A similar death was reported at a petrol station in Kandy yesterday.