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Several
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Several
items disappear from Police stores The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has been called in by Inspector-General of Police W. B. Rajaguru to probe the mysterious disappearance of 15,070 police headquarters letterheads, including 1090 ‘IGP’s official letterheads’, among others from the police stationery stores, high-ranking police officials said. Fears have been expressed about these letterheads, particularly the IGP’s official ones, falling into wrong hands. Police officials admitted that they could easily be used for many illicit purposes, including issuing ‘forged’ police clearance certificates and character certificates, if they find their way into wrong hands. Among the other items found missing from the stores, housed within police headquarters itself, were scores of briefcases issued to police gazetted officers, reams of white shirt and trouser material, envelopes and ballpoint pens. The detection was made during a check by Director (Supplies) Senior Superintendent, Lalith Lekamge. At first a stock of ballpoint pens were found missing. A deeper probe revealed that some other items had also mysteriously disappeared. When SSP Lekamge promptly informed the IGP about the ‘leaks’, Mr. Rajaguru had ordered an inventory for which task a team led by an ASP was appointed. It had then come to light that many more items including ‘sensitive’ IGP’s official letterheads had gone missing, police officials said. SSP Lekamge has recommended the interdiction of the storekeeper, a clerical employee of the Police Department in this connection, ‘The Island’ learns. Investigators suspect that the goods may have been smuggled out, but no headway has so far been made to track down those responsible. ASP (CID) M. D. Arlis and IP Palitha Ratnatilleka are handling further investigations. Agriculturists need more extension and
production incentive programmes Although the technology is available to meet the national requirements of food, local producers are vitally in need of a strong extension programme and a production incentive programme, said Minister of Agriculture and Lands, D. M. Jayaratne at a recent held last month. Speaking at a work-shop on ‘ Globalization and Agriculture: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities’, the Minister said the liberalisation of trade, deregulation of financial markets and free international transfer of technology and information brings wider implications for the agriculture sector in Sri Lanka. He pointed out that in the process of global economic integration Sri Lanka will no longer deal with tariffs, para-tariffs, non-tariff measures and direct trade measures, but instead allow the free trade arrangements and the other factors to determine economic activity. The Minister added that recent policy initiatives made by finance agencies such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Asian Development Bank encourage economies to be more dependent on trade across countries than in self reliance. The Minister said that although in the last 20 years, all local governments have emphasised the importance of being self reliant in the requirement of major food commodities, the development of non-agricultural related activities have increased the opportunities for off-farm employment. During the last 20 years the total labor force employed in agriculture decreased by 10 per cent, the Minister noted. The shifting labor market and increasing of wage rates in the agricultural sector resulted in an increase in the cost of production of most agricultural commodities he added. The increasing production costs made it difficult to reap the benefits of increased productivity brought about through technical advancement, he noted. Minister Jayaratne said that due to globalization local farmers faced the dual challenge of increased costs locally and also having to meet challenges from other countries that sold their products at cheaper prices. The production costs in neighboring countries are low and competitive. The reasons for low production costs in countries such as India is the availability of cheap labor and the subsidies given to farmers said the Minister. Electricity, water, irrigation facilities and even fertiliser are provided at subsidized rates to the farmers either by the central or the state governments observed the Minister adding that when attempts were made to provide certain subsidies for the local farmers the major lending institutions complained. The local producer faces many social and economic problems due to the unrestricted imports, said the Minister. The extent of the potatoe cultivation has decreased from 10,000 hectares to 2500 hectares for both seasons in Badulla and Nuwara Eliya districts thereby displacing almost 32,000 out of their livelihood he added. In the case of rice, the area of cultivation in the wet zones have decreased by almost 40 to 50 per cent. The local agricultural sector constitutes approximately 20 per cent of the gross domestic product and provides direct employment to about 30 per cent of the labor force, much more than any other sector. An estimated 1.8 million families are engaged in agriculture and small holders dominate the sector with over 64 per cent of the farm families cultivating extents of less than 0.8 hectare. Mangala prepared to face full, uninhibited Parliament debate Posts, Telecommunications and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera has requested Speaker K. B. Ratnayake to take up the no-confidence motion against him (Mr. Samaraweera) as early as convenient because he intend to proceed with legal action against a newspaper in this regard. The full text of Minister Samaraweera's letter to the Speaker is as follows: 'I learn from the reports of newspapers that some opposition Members of Parliament have handed over a motion to your Honour expressing no confidence in me as Minister of the Government. I wish to bring to your kind attention that I have, consequent on scurrilous reports made by a newspaper on 10 May, 1998 and thereafter, served the newspaper with a letter of demand for civil damages. Moreover, criminal investigations are proceeding in respect of certain publications made on 21 June, 1998, with the purpose of bringing to book the offenders. I intended to proceed shortly with the civil suit; but having seen the newspaper report of today relating to the no confidence motion on me, I decided to request you to take this matter up for debate in Parliament as early as is convenient. The reason for my request is that, unlike the UNP, which in its lifetime in office, and in opposition invoked the subjudice provisions to hide from the no confidence motions brought against the Members, I would rather face a full and uninhibited Parliamentary debate on my conduct as Minister. I therefore earnestly request you to fix a date during the next sittings or the first week of August, in consultation with the Hon. Leader of the House and the Hon. Leader of the Opposition. UNP to agitate for free and fair elections The UNP Parliamentary Group decided to launch a campaign to protect the right of the people to a free and fair election and for the establishment of an independent Elections Commission, an independent Public Service Commission and an Independent Police Commission. The Group which met under the leadership of UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe while condemning the move by the Government to postpone the Provincial Council Elections reiterated its commitment to protect the rights of the people. The UNP was prepared to face any election at any time, the UNP Parliamentary group, said in a statement. President Chandrika Kumaratunga is seeking to postpone the Provincial elections on the pretext of the needs of the ongoing war. It is a war which is being prosecuted not according to sound military strategies but according to the dictates of a political agenda. What is now needed is not rhetoric and the pedaling of unrealistic targets but an early opportunity for the people to elect a Government of their choice, the statement added. Pakistan ready to talk with India DHAKA, July 9 - Pakistan envoy Akram Zaki met Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday and stressed that Pakistan wanted to resume top-level talks with India as soon as possible. Zaki, who arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday from Kathmandu, also said Pakistan did not want to "detonate any further nuclear device," Hasina’s press secretary Jawadul Karim said. Pakistan says it held six nuclear tests in May, days after its arch rival India conducted five tests. Hasina said Bangladesh wanted peace in the region and resolution of disputes through dialogue. Another official said she and Zaki mainly discussed matters relating to the seven-member South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). "Much of the talks centred on SAARC but they also discussed the nuclear issues," the official said. "Pakistan has its own view of military balance in the region, like India has its own. They both want to avoid a nuclear confrontation...and both have appreciated Bangladesh’s role in trying to defuse tension over a likely nuclear arms race in South Asia." SAARC groups Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. SAARC leaders are scheduled to meet in Colombo later this month for their first summit since the nuclear tests. Zaki said on Wednesday the July 29-31 meeting would be an opportunity for member countries to discuss regional tension. The SAARC charter does not allow discussions on bilateral issues at the forum, but traditionally thorny matters are touched on by leaders during informal "retreats". The prime ministers of India and Pakistan have agreed to hold talks on the sidelines of the SAARC conference. Hasina told Zaki on Thursday that India and Pakistan should resume dialogue without any preconditions, Karim said. Zaki said Pakistan would welcome outside mediation to resolve the Kashmir territorial dispute over which the two countries have fought two wars since their independence from Britain in 1947. India rejects any third party involvement. "India has disturbed the balance of security in the region by first going nuclear," he told reporters. "Pakistan has just maintained the balance." India has cited China, its northern nuclear-armed neighbour, as a major security concern. (Reuter) EPDP leader Douglas Devananda has been taken out of the ICU and the accident service and transferred to a general ward Director of the National Hospital, Dr. Terrance De Silva, said yesterday he is recovering. Mr. Devananda’s neurological and surgical problems have been attended to and he is also receiving treatment from an eye surgeon and ENT surgeon, Dr. De Silva added. No improvement in Maligawa
security, alleges Mahanayake Thera Despite repeated representations to the President and the Deputy Defence Minister there has been no improvement of security given to the Sri Dalada Maligawa, alleged the Mahanayake of Asgiriya Ven. Palipana Sri Chandananda Thera, yesterday (09). The Ven. Sri Chandananda Thera speaking at the changeover of the Service (Thevava) at the Sri Dalada Maligawa from Malwatte to Asgiriya, customarily yesterday made this allegation. The prelate said that certain proposals to intensify security arrangements to the Sri Dalada Maligawa after the sacred place was attacked by the terrorists on January 25 were made to the government but seems to have fallen on deaf ears. The sacred place was subjected to a bomb blast as adequate security was not provided, the Mahanayake Thera alleged. The prelate also said that he was not at all ready to accept the findings of the three-member commission that probe into the bomb attack on the Sri Dalada Maligawa. Nepal govt survives crucial vote, another looms KATHMANDU, July 9 (Reuters) - Nepali Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala survived a crucial parliamentary test on Thursday after a communist group abstained from voting, officials said. They said Koirala was able to pass a motion of thanks to King Birendra for his address to parliament last week after the opposition Communist Marxist-Leninist (ML) party abstained from voting. "I declare that the motion of thanks has been passed," Speaker Ram Chandra Poudel told the lower house of representatives after the vote of thanks. Poudel said Koirala polled 95 votes while 64 votes were cast against. The vote means effective parliamentary approval of the policies and programmes of Koirala’s three-month-old minority government. The Marxist-Leninist party commanding 40 deputies helped Koirala, chief of the Nepali Congress party which has 88 seats, sail through the 205-member house. Parliament officials said the Communist United Marxist-Leninist (UML) party, the Nepal Sadbhavana Party and a faction of Rashtriya Prajatantra Party voted against it. The failure of a similar motion in 1994 brought down an earlier Koirala government. But he bounced back as Nepal’s fifth prime minister in less than four years in April. Analysts said Koirala’s minority government faces another critical test during voting on the 1998/99 (mid-July to mid-July) budget, scheduled to be presented by Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat on Friday. Kandy: The prisons authorities have taken measures to prevent the inmates of prisons participating in the Buddhist religious activities like the Kandy annual Esala Perahera, a practice that has been existing for several decades now. This decision for the first time was exercised from the annual Sri Sangaraja Commemoration Perahera held yesterday (09) for the 50th year in succession. The Sri Sangaraja Perahera is organised by the Ven. Aluthgama Dhammananda Nayake Thera of Malwatte Vihare as an annual event. On Wednesday around 1.15 pm East of Mankulam Jayasikuru troops observed a terrorist movement and engaged them with small arms and mortars killing 03 terrorists, Operational Headquarters reported. Same day during daytime terrorists fired mortars at troops manning defences Southwest of Mankulam. Troops retaliated with artillery and mortars. Troops continued to dominate areas ahead of defences, it said. Around 9.15 am the same day at Palaitalavu in Mannar district, troops on patrol confronted a group of terrorists killing one terrorist. On subsequent search troops recovered 02 hand grenades. On Wednesday around 11.30 am at Mauliwala in Batticaloa district, troops on patrol recovered a machine gun from the area, Operational Headquarters said in a communique. Ministry keeps close watch on sliding tea
prices The Ministry of Plantations and players in the tea industry are keeping a close watch on tea prices which have been sliding since the beginning of the second quarter this year, an authoritative source from the Ministry of Plantations told ‘The Island’ yesterday. He said there has been about a 10 per cent to 15 per cent drop in prices fetched by Sri Lankan teas during this period. The decline in prices applies to both high grown, mid grown and the usually high-priced low grown teas. Tea was fetching "very, very good prices" during the past two years. This "tea boom" period resulted in the industry faring exceptionally well. However, during the beginning of the second quarter, he noted, the prices of high grown and mid grown teas started sliding. "Last month, the low grown teas also slipped," he said, "This has resulted in the overall averages being lowered". Thus, the average price for a kilo of tea which was earlier about Rs. 150 is now between Rs. 120 and 130. This is a significant slip. Tea brokers and analysts have noted, that there is usually a slight decline in tea prices during this time of the year due to increased production worldwide. However, said the source, the decline in low-grown teas has never been this marked. Major players in the tea industry, too, have been observing prices in the market. The source warned that if the decline continues, there will be adverse impacts on both the tea industry and the local economy. Some companies in the estate sector may not be able to support the wage increase that was effected from the beginning of this year or grant Price Wage Supplements to the workforce. The eco-nomy as a whole has been leaning heavily on tea prices and the performance of the tea sector. Experts note that the current drop in prices may be connected to the high output of Kenyan teas. Kenya showed a marked drop in tea production last year but has reportedly more than made up for this shortcoming. Kenyan tea has exerted pressure on the high grown and mid grown teas and is in direct competition with the Sri Lankan products. Meanwhile, the ongoing ‘flush of tea’ which has resulted in a high amount of local sales has also depressed prices. The Plantations Ministry official no-ted that the tea industry is divided in their opinion of what the current slide in prices signified. "There are some who think the boom is now over and the industry will hit rock bottom" he noted, "However, yet others feel the prices will normalise after the boom". He opi-ned that the "bottom will not fall off" though prices will not be at the giddy heights they have maintained during the past two years. It was not certain if the drop in prices, although connected to increased production, meant a drop in demand as well. The last tea boom that Sri Lanka bene-fitted from took place around 1990 where prices were on a high for about a year. The sharpest increases in prices, however, were during 1983 to 1984. If the decline in tea prices does continue, said the official, Sri Lanka would have to change its strategy and increase the output of ‘special’ teas. These teas would have to be targeted at niche or specialised markets. Value addition is taking place on a large scale even at present with Sri Lanka being the largest producer of value added teas. "The new trend now is to gear towards a particular market and maintain quality", he said. |
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