Procurement Manageress Of Lanka Sathosa Limited Has Been Suspended From Her Work For Importing Non Essential Commodities

The Procurement Manageress attached to the Lanka Sathosa (Corporative Wholesale Establishment) Limited has been suspended from her work and given a charge sheet for importing non essential commodities worth Millions of Rupees during the previous government the Sathosa sources have said.

Another stock of non essential commodities worth Rs.304 million have been found last week dumped inside  warehouses of Sathosa outlets situated  Island Wide.These commodities including Baby Pampers ,Expensive cosmetics,Soap ,Shaving Blades,Umbrellas,Kithul Treacle;Baby Swipes,Costly Brand imported toothpastes,Green Tea Sachets and ,Imported Confectionery Items have been expired when recovered  it has been reported.

 Two weeks ago Another  large stock of non essential commodities worth Rs.650 million have been recovered by the special investigations unit officers of the Lanka Sathosa Limited when dumped inside a Sathosa Ware house in Colombo .

Sathosa has been established with the aim of providing essential food commodities like Rice,Dhal,Green Gram,Dried Fish ,Canned Tin Fish ,Sprats ,Local Milk Powders and other dry rations for the people for an affordable prices.

Nurses-PSM'S And Paramedics Numbering 45,000 Are Due To Launch An Island Wide Strike On Thursday(12)

The Government Hospital Nurses along with sixteen other health categories belongs to Professions Supplementary To Medicine(PSM'S) and Para Medical Services are scheduled to be launched an Island Wide token Strike on this Thursday(12) by demanding Rs.15,000 monthly Disturbance,Availability and Transport (DAT) allowance for their professions according to the Joint Confederation Of Nurses-PSM'S and Paramedicals .

As the talks held between the confederation officials and the secretaries of the Ministries Of Public Administration,Finance and Health on last Friday have ended without a solution the Confederation has decided to go with the scheduled strike action from 8 a.m on this Thursday to 8 a.m on Friday the 13th the Joint Convener of the Joint Confederation Of Nurses-PSM'S and Paramedicals Saman Jayasekera has said.

Around 45,000 officers belongs to these professions are due to participate this strike and the emergency services of the state hospitals will be maintained as usual during the strike period he has stressed.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY FROM INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES SITE

Draft Bill On Constitutional Reforms To Be Presented To The Parliament By Next Week

The draft bill on proposed Constitutional Reforms including the amendments to the powers of Executive Presidency is scheduled to be presented to the Parliament by next week government source have said.Prior to it's presentation to the Parliament The All Party Committee On Constitutional Reforms has yesterday meet to discuss the present status of the new legislation.

The Draft Bill is due to be refer to the Supreme Court to determine whether it should be approved by the people in a Referendum before being taken up  in the Parliament.The Legal Draftsman Department has already put the proposed amendments in a legal format.

President Had Left For London On A State Visit

President Maithripala Sirisena had left this morning to London for a five day state visit.The President is expected to participate the 2015 Commonwealth Day celebrations scheduled to be held on this Monday((09) as the chairman of the Commonwealth Summit and the private audience with Queen Elizabeth the second and Duke Of Edinburgh on Wednesday.

President Sirisena is participating these events as the invitee of Queen Elizabeth.He is also scheduled to meet with British Prime Minister Davi
d Cameron.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY FROM INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES SITE

Eighty Drugs Are Identified As The Essential Drugs For Sri Lanka Under The Proposed National Drugs Policy

Around 80 Medicinal Drugs are identified as essential drugs to the country under the Proposed National Medicinal Drugs Policy the chairman of the National Medicinal Drugs Policy Draft Committee Dr.Palitha Abeykoon has said today(06).At present around 800 varieties of drugs have been imported to Sri Lanka annually.

While addressing the media at the seminar on National Medicinal Drugs Policy held today at the Government Information Department, Dr,Abeykoon has said that under the proposed drugs policy the importation of Medicinal Drugs to the country and prescribing drugs to the patients should be done by the generic name.However a special provision will be provided under the policy to the doctors where they can mention the trade name of a specific drug after write it by the generic name when the need arise he has stressed.

However the full authority of whether the prescribed drugs should be purchased through the generic name or by the trade name will be vested with the patients Dr.Abeykoon has said.

Meanwhile both the Government Pharmacists Union and the All Ceylon Government Medical Officers Association have criticized the health authorities on the special provision provided under the drugs policy for doctors to prescribe medicines by trade name in addition to prescribe it with generic name.Under the Professor Senaka Bibile's National
Drugs Policy Concept all medicinal drugs should be prescribed to the patients through generic name the unions have stressed.

When asked on this Dr.Abeykoon who is the head of the National Medicinal Drugs Draft Committee has said that under the present market economy no country will be able to import and prescribe all the drugs under generic name."Therefore we are thinking of introducing generic branded drugs "he has pointed out.

National Medicinal Drugs Regulatory Authority Bill Has Passed In Parliament With Majority Of Votes

The National Medicinal Drugs Regulatory Authority Bill on implementing the National Drug Policy has  passed in the Parliament today(06) with amendments  and  by the majority of 67 votes.The Bill which was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday was passed as 68 MP'S were voted in favor of the bill while the independent  MP Ajith Kumara was voted against it.

The Minister Of Health and Indigenous Medicine Dr.Rajitha Senaratne has tabled the Medicinal Drugs Regulatory Authority Bill on Tuesday which will implement the National Medicinal Drugs Policy based on the concept of Late Professor Senaka Bibile to ensure providing the public a quality medicinal drugs for an affordable prices.

Under the passed Bill an Independent Medicinal Drugs Authority has been due to set up which will monitor the drug importation,distribution and the price mechanism.The authority will be headed by the Health Minister.All the functions presently carryout by the director of Medicinal Supplies And Technologies will be vested to the new independent authority.

Meanwhile Cosmetics will not be supervised
by the new independent drugs authority and the government is planning to introduce a separate bill to monitor cosmetics and related activities.

Dr.Chris Nonis Has Been Appointed As A Presidential Adviser

The former Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Dr.Chris Nonis has been appointed as the Presidential Adviser on International Affairs the President's Media Unit has announced today(06).

The former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom has resigned from his post during the previous government due to an assault on him by the MP Sajin Vaas Gunawardena.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY FROM INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES SITE

Cabinet Had Suspended The Colombo Port City Project

The Cabinet has yesterday(04) decided to suspend the China funded Colombo Port City project inaugurated during the previous government due to not taking approvals from the relevant authorities before started the project .According to the Cabinet Spokesman Dr.Rajitha Senaratne ,The Cabinet has taken a decision to advise the Chinese Company which is carrying out the port city project to take approvals needed from the relevant institutions withing two week period.

Prime Minister Ranil Wikaramasinha has made this proposal of taking approvals from the relevant authorities by  based on the interim report handed over by the Cabinet Sub Committee which probed on the Colombo Port City Project he has stressed.

During the Presidential Campaign of the recently concluded Presidential Elections both the  Prime Minister Ranil Wikramasinha and President Maithripala Sirisena have stressed  that they will suspend the Colombo port city project soon after coming to power..

Free Monthly Nutritional Food Pack Worth Rs.20,000 For Expecting Mothers From 21st Of March

The Government has decided to give Rs.20,000 worth nutritional food pack for the Pregnant Mothers with effect from 21st of March under the 100 day Programme implement by the present government the Minister Of Health And Indigenous Medicine and Cabinet Spokesman Dr.Rajitha Senaratne has said today(05).

This nutritional food pack will be given monthly  to the expecting mothers during their last six months and first four months after the delivery Dr.Senaratne has revealed.All the expecting mothers who are registered at Maternity Clinics in Government Hospitals are entitled for this monthly nutritional food pack and it will be given with  a doctor's recommendation.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY FROM WORDS OF WISDOM

Around 45,000 Health Professionals To Launch An Island Wide Token Strike On Next Thursday(!2)

Around 45,000 professionals belongs to 16 health professions are due to launch an island wide token strike on next Thursday(12) by demanding  to pay Rs.15,000 as the Disturbance ,Availability and Transport Allowance(DAT) for them with immediate effect the Joint Confederation Of Nurses-Professions Supplementary To Medicine and Paramedicals has announced today(04).

According to the joint convener of the Joint Confederation Saman Ratnapriya,these professions will launch a stern continuous strike action if their demand is not meet through this token strike action.

He has also appealed from the Government Medical Officers Association(GMOA) to refrain from making divisions among the health professions and work for the
betterment of the health sector instead.The GMOA has already began a leaflet distributing campaign among the public by urging the authorities not to pay the DAT Allowance to other health professions except the doctors he has stressed.

The meeting scheduled  to be held between the representatives of the Joint Confederation Of Nurses-Professions Supplementary To Medicine -Paramedicals with the secretaries of  Finance  ,Health and Public Administrations on this Friday regarding the Paying Of DAT Allowance is a crucial one Ratnapriya has stated at the Press Briefing held in Colombo this morning.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY FROM WORDS OF WISDOM

Two Motor Cyclists Wearing Full Face Helmets Have Stolen A Private Bank

Almost a day after the Police have announced the banning of wearing full face covered helmets ,two men who  have been reported as wearing full face covered helmets and arrived from a motor bicycle have stolen Rs.1 million from a Private Bank in Mount lavinia this evening.
T
The two motor cyclists had assaulted the security guard of the private bank and ran away after grabbing the money from the cashier it has been reported,The injured security guard has hospitalized and the Mount Lavinia Police have been conducting the investigations on the robbery.

Police have yesterday(02) announced that the wearing of Full Face covered Helmets are banned with effect from 21st of March.

The Female Who Tried To Damage Sigiriya Frescoes Has Been Sentenced To Two Years Imprisonment

The 27 year old Batticloe female who was arrested for trying to damage Historical Sigiriya Frescoes  by carving her name on the mirror wall has been sentenced to two years imprisonment for the offense by the Dambulla Magistrate Court.

The female who visited Sigiriya with her friends on 15th of February was spotted by an Archeology Officer  when she tried to scrawled the mirror wall by a sharp object .As a result Archeology Officers there arrested her and handed over to the Sigiriya Police.After produced before the dambulla magistrate court yesterday (02)she has been sentenced to two years imprisonment
.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

President Has Cancelled The Gem Mining Licences Of Sixteen Foreign Companies

The President has cancelled the Gem Mining Licences issued for unidentified 16 Foreign Companies to search Blue Sapphires and other Gems in Sri Lankan Soil according to the President's Media Unit.President has cancelled these mining licences in view of protecting local gem miners the unit has said.

However the President's Media Unit has not mentioned clearly  whether these foreign companies whose gem mining  licences have been cancelled are already involved in  gem mining activities in the island  or prepar
ing to setup operations here.

Government To Sought Foreign Assistance For Investigating Financial Fraud Allegations Against Previous Regime

The Government has decided to seek assistance from three foreign countries to help investigate on  large scale financial fraud allegations against the previous government Prime Minister Ranil Wikaramsinha has said.According to the Prime Minister government is seeking the assistance of India ,Britain and United States for these investigations.

Government has already requested the assistance from the World Bank,US Justice Department and Major Fraud Investigations Unit in London regarding these investigations on fraud allegations against the previous government it has been reported.

Wearing Full Face Covered Helmets To Be Banned From 21st Of March

The Police have decided to impose a  ban of using full face covered helmets with effect from 21st of March in view of minimizing occurring   robberies and murders by using them.In the recent past most of the robberies and murders in the society have been occurred by men who were wear full face helmets it has been reported.

According to the Police Spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana ,under this ban wearing of Helmets covering the face between eyebrows to chin would be prohibited.Those who are wearing such helmets covering full face will face a fine of Rs.1000 with effect from 21st of March he has said.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY FROM WORDS OF WISDOM

Drug Quality Assurance Laboratory Becomes A White Elephant -Pharmacists Union

The Government Pharmacists Union Of Sri Lanka has charged that the National Drug Quality Assurance Laboratory established to carryout tests on imported medicinal drugs to Sri Lanka which are suspected as in low quality has become a white elephant wasting millions of public money .

Around Rs.500 million has been allocated annually for the activities of national drug quality assurance laboratory through the annual budget but the laboratory officials have failed to carryout the drug quality check  tests in an effective manner the Union  has said.Due to the delay of issuing quality test reports  from the laboratory most of the times the suspected drugs have been  issued to the innocent patients which may be harmful to them the secretary of the pharmacists union Ajith Tilakeratne has said.

Indian External Affairs Minister To Visit Sri Lanka On 06th Of March

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is due to arrive Sri Lanka for a two day offcial visit on 06th of March prior to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Singh Modi's official visit to the country in mid March.During her Visit the Indian External Affairs Minister is scheduled to meet Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wikaramasinha and Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to tour Sri Lanka on 13th of March for a three day official visit a first by an Indian Head Of State after 25 years .He is scheduled to visit Northern Sri Lanka,Kandy and Anuradhapaura during his visit.

Airport Customs Have Detected A Consignment Of Satellite Receivers Brought By A Group Of Pilgrims

The Airport Customs have today(01)  detected Rs.1.3 million worth 335 Satellite Receivers and 81 remote controllers inside the luggage of Pilgrims returning  to the island from Dambadiva,India.  The said consignment of Satellite Receivers was found inside the luggage of 11  Pilgrims returning the island  through Chennai ,India the Customs have said.

The Customs Officials have said that the Pilgrims have brought the said Consignment of Satellite Receivers and Remote Controllers per a request made by the leader of the pilgrims who had organized the Pilgrimage.