Author: Buzzer Editorial

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Namal Karunaratne, says that necessary steps will be taken to provide full compensation of Rs. 100,000 per hectare to farmers whose crops were destroyed due to recent adverse weather conditions.Speaking to the media, he said that farmers have also been provided with the opportunity to seek assistance from local government bodies to prepare their land for cultivation.“The extent of the farmland affected by the disaster and the number of affected farming families is currently being assessed. Accordingly, the government is committed to providing farmers with full compensation of Rs. 100,000 per hectare for the…

Attorney-at-Law Manoj Gamage has claimed that the incumbent government has taken steps to significantly reduce the security detail of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Speaking at a press briefing held at the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Policy Center today (11), Gamage revealed that the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of human resource management had notified the security division of the former President through an official letter yesterday (10). According to Gamage, a total of 116 security personnel from the former President’s security detail have reportedly been withdrawn, including officers with specialized experience in VIP security. He expressed concern over this decision,…

The Supreme Court today dismissed a petition submitted by a lawyer, which claimed that his fundamental rights were violated by the Constitutional Council’s rejection of a proposal made by then-President Ranil Wickremesinghe to appoint Appeals Court Chairman Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne as a Supreme Court Judge.

Stocks of rice imported by private importers have been released into the market.It is reported that the first consig of rice, which arrived in the country yesterday (11), has been cleared by Customs.On December 03, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal to allow the import of rice without import control permits until 20 December 2024, in view of the current shortage of several rice varieties in the local markets.Accordingly, importers have begun importing rice and it is reported that 75,000 kg of rice were released from customs yesterday.It is stated that a stock of Samba and White Raw rice…

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has reported to the Colombo Magistrate’s Court that a total of 2,017 complaints have been filed by depositors who claim to have been cheated out of their money after investing in ‘Onmax DT,’ a private firm alleged to have been operating a pyramid scheme.According to the CID, the total estimated financial losses incurred by the complainants amounts to around Rs. 2.96 billion.During a hearing before Colombo Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage today (11), CID officials disclosed that a total of 865 new complaints have been received since the last hearing, and that additional complaints continue to…

The Attorney General (AG) today (11) informed the Supreme Court that the Cabinet of Ministers has instructed the legal draftsman to amend the Local Government Elections (Special Provisions) Bill in order to make necessary provisions for holding the Local Government (LG) Elections using the 2024 voters’ list, in order to ensure the right to vote of the young voters. Appearing on behalf of the Attorney General, Deputy Solicitor General Nirmalan Vigneswaran informed this to the court, when a Fundamental Rights petition filed seeking an order that the LG Elections be held using the 2024 voters’ list was taken up for hearing…

The final decision of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) on the proposed electricity tariff revisions will be announced on 17 January 2025, the PUCSL announced.Meanwhile, the PUCSL also said that the public consultation regarding the proposed tariff revision is scheduled to get underway from 17 December 2024.Accordingly, the general public are allowed to submit their opinions regarding the matter virtually or in writing before January 08, 2024.The relevant submissions can be forwarded to the PUCSL via;Email – [email protected] – 076 4271030Facebook – www.facebook.com/pucslPost – Public Consultation on electricity tariff, Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka, BOC Corporate…

The Police Special Task Force (STF) has arrested a person while in possession of a stock of narcotics in Kahathuduwa.The Police said that the person was in possession of 05 kilograms of heroin, 1.6 kilograms of ‘Ice’ drugs (Crystal Methamphetamine) and 800 pills of Ecstasy at the time of his arrest.The street value of the seized drugs is believed to around Rs. 130 million, according to police.

The Supreme Court today (11) adjourned the hearing of petitions seeking an order to re-conduct the 2024 Grade 5 Scholarship Examination, following allegations that three questions in the exam had been leaked.The petitions were heard before a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices S. Thurairaja and Shiran Gunaratne. However, the hearing was adjourned to December 16, as the three-member bench required to adjudicate the matter was not properly constituted.The petitions were filed by a group of students who sat for the examination and their parents, expressing concerns over the fairness of the process.On December 2, the Attorney General (AG) informed the…

The Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health says that an unidentified fever is spreading in the Jaffna District, raising concerns among health authorities. The health authorities have launched investigations to determine the nature of the disease, with preliminary tests underway to assess whether it is related to leptospirosis, commonly known as ‘rat fever’. Dr. Kumudu Weerakoon of the Epidemiology Unit addressed the issue at a media briefing held at the Health Promotion Bureau today (11). She explained that patients in the affected areas are presenting with fever and respiratory issues. Health officials are collecting samples from these individuals to confirm the exact…