Sri Lanka Police has suspended its annual transfer orders for 2025 for six months. The suspension was based on a directive from Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasooriya on 24 December. Originally scheduled to take effect on 1 January, 2025, the transfer orders will now be implemented from 30 June, 2025. It was further noted that this suspension will not affect transfers issued based on duty requirements.

Annual police transfer orders suspended until June 2025

<ul><li>Dept. short of 500 employees, requires 3 years to train up</li></ul> &nbsp;Facing a shortage of over 500 employees, the Department of Railways has requested approval from relevant authorities to retain retiring employees for a few more years, it is learnt.This is, as it takes approximately three years to train new recruits to the required level of competency.&nbsp;Speaking to The Daily Morning, Railways Department Media Spokesperson Deputy General Manager (Transport) N.J. Indipolage said that they are currently facing a shortage of over 500 employees, including nearly 150 locomotive drivers, around 120 train guards, approximately 100 station masters, and 100–150 mechanics.&nbsp;“We are maintaining operations with a critical shortage of employees. There have been no recruitments made to the Department since 2017,” he said.He also said that even if employees are recruited for the vacant positions, it would take nearly three years for the Department to train them. “If new employees are recruited next year (2025), we need three years to train them. It means, even if recruitments are made next year, the issue will resolve only in 2028. As a solution, we have requested permission from the relevant authorities to retain retiring employees for a few more years. But, there is no decision on it yet,” he went on to say.Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation, Prof. Kapila C.K. Perera and Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways, Dr. Prasanna Gunasena were not available for comment.It was recently reported that the Railways Department was unable to operate sufficient additional trains during the festive season due to shortages of employees, particularly locomotive drivers and guards. As a result, only two additional trains would be in operation for Christmas this year, compared to over 20 extra trains deployed in previous years.

Retiring employees: Railways Dept. seeks approval to retain staff

<ul><li> Will contest with groups currently with them: Abeysinghe</li></ul> &nbsp;The National People's Power (NPP) is to contest the upcoming Local Government (LG) and Provincial Council (PC) Elections under its current structure, with the groups currently aligned with them.Preparations are underway to conduct the Local Government (LG) and Provincial Council (PC) Elections in 2025, which were previously postponed due to reasons such as an alleged lack of funds and legal obstacles.In response to a question by The Daily Morning as to how they would contest the said two elections, NPP General Secretary and Parliamentarian, Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe said that they would contest it under the existing structure. "There are several groups with us in the NPP now. We will contest the elections with them."The NPP or the Jathika Jana Balawegaya, was formed as a coalition of left-wing parties to offer an alternative to the traditional political system. The NPP became the ruling party after winning the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary General Elections and is now the largest party in Parliament. The party is led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.The LG Elections were originally set for March 2023, but the then Government failed to provide the necessary funds to the Election Commission (EC). As a result, the elections were rescheduled for April 2023. However, the funds were still not released, leading the EC to postpone the elections indefinitely. Meanwhile, the PC Elections have been delayed for an extended period due to a legal issue that originated from an attempted legal amendment by the United National Front (UNF) Government between 2015 and 2020.

LG politics: NPP to contest under current structure

<ul><li>Minister says goal is to sustain the dept. as effective nat’l institutio</li></ul> The Government is planning to transform the Sri Lanka Postal Department into a more innovative and efficient service by using modern technology, said Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa yesterday (25).The minister made these remarks during a recent visit to the Sri Lanka Postal Department headquarters. The visit was aimed at reviewing the department’s current services and its future plans. He also met trade union representatives to discuss their professional concerns at a meeting held at the ministry of Health auditorium.&nbsp;Dr.Jayatissa examined the services currently provided by the Postal Department, its ongoing projects, and future development plans. After looking into the challenges the department faces currently and its main sources of income, the minister noted that the department has clear objectives and is working systematically to achieve them.&nbsp;The minister also emphasised that the Government’s goal is to modernise and sustain the department as a national institution adding that post offices will no longer be established based on political or personal interests. Highlighting the importance of long-term planning, Dr. Jayatissa said the department needs a well-thought-out strategy for at least the next ten years. He also suggested focusing on the tourism sector as a way to make the Postal Department more profitable.&nbsp;He also stressed the importance of creating strong project proposals to secure foreign assistance, pointing out that the department should improve its revenue streams to compete with private institutions and explore untapped income opportunities. The minister also noted that digitalising services is crucial for the department’s future growth.&nbsp;Dr. Jayatissa urged officials and trade union representatives to find ways to make the department more popular among the public and provided further guidance on how to achieve this goal while improving its overall efficiency.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Post: Govt. seeks transformation with modern tech

<ul><li>Current cap on compensation per hectare is Rs. 100,000</li></ul> The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development stated that it is awaiting assessment reports from the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board (AAIB) to decide on any further revisions to the compensation process for crop damages.These while farmers’ associations continue their call for revisions to the compensation process for crop damage, following reports of full compensation of only Rs. 100,000 per hectare being provided to farmers whose crops were damaged due to adverse weather.Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (25), Ministry Secretary D.P. Wickremasinghe stated that assessments of crop damage are yet to be completed and sent to the ministry. He noted that necessary revisions and policy decisions would be made once the ministry receives the assessment reports. Until then, the process will continue as decided by the Government.He further explained that the actual damage is reportedly different from what farmers have claimed, and necessary changes will be made if required. “According to what I have heard from the Board (the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board), the damage is relatively less than what is being claimed. Yet, we need to receive the assessment reports to make further decisions,” he said.Meanwhile, National Agrarian Unity Organisation President Anuradha Tennakoon recently stated that the compensation provided to farmers does not meet their expectations. He claimed that the circular regarding farmer compensation was released in 2017, and no revisions have been made since, despite increases in costs such as labour and seeds.In contrast, the AAIB recently announced that farmers affected by recent floods and extreme weather would receive compensation before the end of the year.Following adverse weather, it was reported that Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunarathne announced that the extent of the damage is being assessed and that the Government is committed to paying the full compensation of Rs. 100,000 per hectare. However, no information has been provided regarding compensation for crop damage caused by other factors, such as human-wildlife conflicts.

Crop damages: Agri. Min. awaits AAIB Report

<ul><li>Concerns about “strong GPS jamming”</li></ul> An Azerbaijani airliner with 67 people onboard crashed Wednesday in the Kazakhstani city of Aktau, leaving at least 32 survivors, according to officials. More than 30 people are likely dead.Kazakhstan’s Emergency Ministry said in a Telegram statement that those on board included five crew. At least 29 have been hospitalised, the ministry told Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti.Russian news agency Interfax quoted medical workers as saying that four bodies have been recovered and emergency workers at the scene as saying that both pilots, according to a preliminary assessment, died in the crash.The Embraer 190 aircraft made an emergency landing 3 km from the city, Azerbaijan Airlines said earlier.Kazakhstan’s Emergency Ministry initially said 25 people survived the crash, later revising that number to 27, 28, and then 29 as the search and rescue operation continued at the site of the crash, bringing the supposed death toll down.The Prosecutor General’s Office in Azerbaijan later reported that at least 32 people survived the crash, adding that the number wasn’t final.The number of survivors could mean that over 30 people may be dead.The plane was originally scheduled to travel from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus. According to Azerbaijan Airlines, 37 passengers were Azerbaijani citizens. There were also 16 Russian nationals, six Kazakhstani and three Kyrgyzstani citizens, it said.RIA Novosti quoted Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, as saying that preliminary information showed that the pilot had chosen to divert to Aktau after a bird strike on the aircraft led to “an emergency situation on board.”Mobile phone footage circulating online appeared to show the aircraft making a steep descent before smashing into the ground in a fireball. Other footage showed part of its fuselage ripped away from the wings and the rest of the aircraft, lying upside in the grass. The footage corresponded to the plane’s colors and its registration number.Some of the videos posted on social media showed survivors dragging fellow passengers away from the wreckage of the plane.Flight-tracking data from FlightRadar24.com showed the aircraft making what appeared to be a figure-right once nearing the airport in Aktau, its altitude moving up and down substantially over the last minutes of the flight before impacting the ground. FlightRadar24 separately said in an online post that the aircraft had faced “strong GPS jamming” which “made the aircraft transmit bad ADS-B data,” referring to the information that allows flight-tracking websites to follow planes in flight. Russia has been blamed in the past for jamming GPS transmissions in the wider region.	(AP)&nbsp;

Kazakhstan: Azerbaijani airline crashes; 30 feared dead

<ul><li>Bill proposes increased fines and jail sentences&nbsp;</li></ul>&nbsp; The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development this week announced that the Government will soon take steps to advance the proposed Animal Welfare Bill, asserting that the current administration has no objections to its enactment.Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (25), Secretary to the Ministry, D.P. Wickremasinghe, stated that the Bill must be resubmitted to the Cabinet of Ministers of the new Government to secure approval for its progression. He emphasised that the present administration has no reservations about the proposed Bill and assured that necessary steps will be taken to present it to Parliament in the near future.Wickremasinghe further clarified that no changes have been made to the Bill despite the change in Government. However, the approval of the new Cabinet is required for it to proceed, and the ministry intends to present it at an upcoming meeting.In January 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers under the Ranil Wickremesinghe Government approved the Animal Welfare Bill, which applies to owned, wild, farm, and stray animals. The Bill proposes a maximum fine of Rs. 125,000 and/or a minimum prison sentence of three years for offences against animals. Although it received Cabinet approval and was hailed by animal welfare activists as a significant step forward, the Bill has since stalled without progressing towards enactment.Meanwhile, several parties, including veterinarians and animal rights activists, have accused the former Agriculture Minister, Mahinda Amaraweera, of attempting to dilute the Bill with amendments deemed unconstitutional. These parties also allege that he delayed its passage through Parliament.

Animal welfare bill: Govt. has no objection for enactment

<ul><li>Calls reinstatement of dismissed staff commendable</li></ul> The Samagi Joint Trade Union Alliance (SJTUA) yesterday claimed that, in addition to reinstating employees who were previously dismissed from the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) in an arbitrary manner, action should be taken against the senior officials who made those decisions to serve the interests of politicians.A total 62 employees of the CEB, who had been dismissed for participating in protests against the restructuring of the CEB during the previous Government, had been reinstated by the Ministry of Energy on 24 December.Speaking to The Daily Morning, Samagi Trade Union Alliance (SJTUA) Convener Ananda Palitha said that while the decision to reinstate the dismissed employees is commendable, action should also be taken against the senior officials responsible for issuing the circulars that led to their dismissal.&nbsp;“The dismissal of these employees was done by the CEB’s Human Resources Department. Reinstating these employees means the decision to dismiss them is wrong and illegal. If so, there should be action against the officials who made that decision as per politicians’ will and executed it. To my knowledge, no action has been taken against them,” he said.He further claimed that some reinstated employees had been assigned to different sections instead of being returned to the sections where they were serving at the time of their dismissal.&nbsp;“If justice is served to them, they should be assigned to the sections where they worked when employees were being dismissed. What we have come to know is that they have been transferred to other sections. It is not a ‘complete justice’,” he said.Attempts to contact Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody proved futile.The dismissals of these employees were initially ordered by the former Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera, who claimed the protests disrupted services, despite electricity being declared an essential service.

CEB TU action: SJTUA calls for action against officials

A petition has been filed in the Court of Appeal seeking the resumption of legal action pertaining to the deaths of 11 inmates during the 2020 Mahara Prison riots and the issuance of the necessary directives and instructions to several parties including the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).The petition was filed in a context where the Attorney General’s (AG) Department has issued a letter to the CID asserting that the incident was an act of self-defense by the Police and that all actions were conducted in accordance with Section 77 of the Prisons Ordinance. The petition said that based on this assertion, the AG’s Department had indicated that there was no necessity to continue with the case and had expressed their intention to close the proceedings.In the petition dated 20 December 2024, Mehanuwara Gedara Lasanthi, spouse of one of the deceased inmates represented by attorney Senaka Perera, had named as respondents the Attorney General, Director of the CID, and the Magistrate of the Welisara Magistrate Court.The petitioner challenged the submission made by the Additional Solicitor General appearing on behalf of the State in the case bearing no. B3118/20 at the Welisara Magistrate Court on 17 December 2024, withdrawing the case in which the Magistrate had on 26 April 2023, delivered an order directing the CID to take appropriate, prompt action and arrest all the suspects involved in the matter and present them to court in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The petition read that the Magistrate had, based on evidence and post-mortem reports, determined that the deaths had resulted from gunshot injuries to areas above the abdominal cavity, which the petitioner contended amounts to violations of the provisions of the Prisons Ordinance of Sri Lanka No. 16 of 1877.“The Petitioner further states that the Learned Magistrate, in the order dated 26 April, 2023, concluded the Prison Superintendent did not conduct a humanitarian operation to subdue the inmates by applying minimal force or aiming below the knee. Instead, the post-mortem reports revealed that the gunshot wounds were inflicted on vital organs above the abdomen, indicating that shots were fired indiscriminately in multiple directions. The evidence suggests that the required minimal force was not observed during the incident.”The petitioner stated that accordingly, as a reasonable suspicion has been raised that these deaths are prima facie crimes, the Magistrate of the Welisara Magistrate’s Court on 26 April 2023, ordered the CID to take appropriate action and arrest all the suspects involved in this matter and present them to court in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The petitioner had further said that it is both unjust and unfair to withdraw the charges and discontinue the case at this stage.The petitioner had said that in light of the abovementioned circumstances, she is entitled under the law for, a Writ of Certiorari to quash the document issued by AG, a Writ of Mandamus to the AG and the CID Director directing them to file the charges for all suspects in the case at the Welisara Magistrate’s Court, and a Writ of Mandamus to the CID Director directing to act according to the order made by the Welisara Magistrate on 26 April 2023.

Annual police transfer orders suspended until June 2025

Retiring employees: Railways Dept. seeks approval to retain staff

Retiring employees: Railways D ...

LG politics: NPP to contest under current structure

LG politics: NPP to contest un ...

The Post: Govt. seeks transformation with modern tech

The Post: Govt. seeks transfor ...

Crop damages: Agri. Min. awaits AAIB Report

Crop damages: Agri. Min. await ...

Kazakhstan: Azerbaijani airline crashes; 30 feared dead

Kazakhstan: Azerbaijani airlin ...

Animal welfare bill: Govt. has no objection for enactment

Animal welfare bill: Govt. has ...

CEB TU action: SJTUA calls for action against officials

CEB TU action: SJTUA calls for ...

Mahara Prison tragedy: Petition filed with COA

Mahara Prison tragedy: Petitio ...

Retiring employees: Railways Dept. seeks approval to retain staff

Retiring employees: Railways D ...

LG politics: NPP to contest under current structure

LG politics: NPP to contest un ...

The Post: Govt. seeks transformation with modern tech

The Post: Govt. seeks transfor ...

Crop damages: Agri. Min. awaits AAIB Report

Crop damages: Agri. Min. await ...

Kazakhstan: Azerbaijani airline crashes; 30 feared dead

Kazakhstan: Azerbaijani airlin ...

Animal welfare bill: Govt. has no objection for enactment

Animal welfare bill: Govt. has ...

CEB TU action: SJTUA calls for action against officials

CEB TU action: SJTUA calls for ...

Mahara Prison tragedy: Petition filed with COA

Mahara Prison tragedy: Petitio ...

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Retiring employees: Railways Dept. seeks approval to retain staff

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The Post: Govt. seeks transformation with modern tech

The Post: Govt. seeks transfor ...

Crop damages: Agri. Min. awaits AAIB Report

Crop damages: Agri. Min. await ...

Kazakhstan: Azerbaijani airline crashes; 30 feared dead

Kazakhstan: Azerbaijani airlin ...

Animal welfare bill: Govt. has no objection for enactment

Animal welfare bill: Govt. has ...