Vol. 31 No. 77 Thursday 16th February, 2012, 48 pages Rs. 20 Registered in as a Newspaper - Late City Edition Govt slams hefty fuel adjustment SLA launches probe charge on electricity consumers on LLRC findings BY IFHAM NIZAM A Court of Inquiry, appoint- progress. ed by the Commander of the The five-member Court A Fuel Adjustment Charge (FAC) Commission of Sri Lanka, Chairman Fuel Adjust Charge % Dr. Jayatissa de Costa said that the FAC Army of Inquiry appointed on 2 was imposed on electricity consumers, Jagath Jayasuriya, to inquire January 2012 by virtue of the from midnight yesterday, to cover the was solely on the increase in the price 0-30 Kwh 25 into the observations, made by powers, vested in the Army cost of increased fuel prices in the of fuel. the Lessons Learnt and Commander by Regulation 4 of 31-60 Kwh 35 world market, that had badly hit the He said that with the Government Reconciliation Commission the Courts of Inquiry Over 60 Kwh 40 already debt ridden Ceylon Electricity subsidy of Rs. 97 billion, that was pro- vided upto now, every consumer was Places of religious worship Nil Board. (LLRC) in its report on alleged Regulations, read with the With the new fuel adjustment paying below the actual cost of electrici- civilian casualties during the Regulation 2 of the Army Industrial sector 15 ty. final phase of the humanitarian Disciplinary Regulations, is Hotels 15 charges, more than 78 per cent of the 5.5 million electricity consumers have to The Power and Energy Ministry, on operations and probe the headed by General General purposes 25 pay an additional 40 per cent on their Sunday made submissions requesting a Channel-4 video footage irre- Jagath Chrishantha De Silva, the fuel adjustment charge. Street lamps Nil monthly power bill. spective of its authenticity or Jayasuriya present Commander of the However, Public Utilities otherwise, is now in full One killed, 8 injured in police, SLA

by Chamila Karawita fire as fishermen turn violent Sri Lankan crick- et’s greatest pos- session, the 1996 World Cup trophy Curfew declared in Chilaw has been damaged ne fisherman was killed and eight tal. Three of them were in critical condi- after it was taken to others critically injured when the tions, hospital sources said. the Dayata Kirula Oarmy and the police opened fire to The demonstrators, all fishermen exhibition at quell a massive protest, by over 5,000 peo- from the Kalladi area had staged their Anuradhapura, The ple at the Thalavi area in Chilaw, calling protest campaign over the last two days Island learns. Apart from minor dam- for a reduction in the fuel prices. blocking the Puttalam-Colombo road and ages, two of the nails attached to the The police first fired tear gas in a bid were dispersed by the Police. Yesterday, trophy, made out of cast iron, have also gone missing. to stop the protestors from blocking the the protestors attempted to forcibly enter The Island learns that several other Colombo-Puttalam main road and when the Colombo-Chilaw road resulting in the trophies taken to the Dayata Kirula that failed they opened fire resulting in Police and the Army blocking it. That Exhibition also have been severely the death of the youth who was shot in caused the protestors to aim stones at the damaged. the head. Police and the Army. The World Cup trophy was kept at The eight fishermen with gunshot the SLC’s conference room and was injuries were admitted to Chilaw hospi- one of the valuable possessions of Sri Lankan cricket. UNP wants alliance with JVP, TNA to topple UPFA

Mangala BY ZACKI JABBAR In a new turn of events, the UNP yes- People’s Front and a number of trade terday invited the JVP, with whom it had unions have already pledged their sup- A person shot by troops during yesterday’s protest at Thalavi, Chilaw is being parted ways after the last Presidential port for tomorrow’s protest, he said rushed to the nearby Chilaw hospital. Pic by Amila Buddhika, Pallama corr Election and the Tamil National Alliance, adding that the JVP and TNA cannot to join it in toppling the Mahinda shirk their duty by the masses. Rajapasksa regime, for burdening the people with unbearable increases in the price of essential goods and service. Stars join Queen Matara District Court of Appeal issues notice on Jaffna UNP MP Mangala Elizabeth II Samaraweera, Movie stars were addressing a news among those who conference in joined Britain’s Commander, Army Commander Colombo, urged all Queen Elizabeth political parties, II in celebrating BY CHITRA WEERARATHNE including the JVP the 200th anniver- and TNA, to par- sary of Charles The Court of Appeal yesterday re- persons were missing since December, ticipate in the Dickens’ birth. issued notice on the Jaffna 9 2011. They had been in the Jana-ara- demonstration Commander of the , galaya Movement of the JVP. the Sri Lanka Army Commander and J. C. Weliamuna appeared for the against the sky- the Office-in-Charge of the petitioner, Deputy Solicitor General rocketing cost of Achchuveli Police Station, to be pres- Shavindra Fernando appeared for the living, planned for ent in Court on February 29, 2012. respondents, the IGP and the tomorrow at the US bishops fight birth The notice is in respect of the Attorney General. The Jaffna Fort Railway sta- control deal Habaes Corpus application filed by Commander and the Sri Lanka Army tion. family members of Kithnan Commander were not represented nor The Nawa The top Catholic bishop in the Muruganandan and Lalith Kumara were they present in court, in person. Samasamaja Party, U.S. has vowed legislative and Weeraraj of Jaffna. court challenges to President United Socialist The petition said that these two Barack Obama’s compromise Front, Democratic on exempting religiously affiliat- ed employers from paying directly for birth control for their workers. Ekneligoda habeas corpus

Russian radio station application on April 24 BY CHITRA WEERARATHNE under pressure The Habeas Corpus application filed on behalf of e-News The editor of Russia’s lead- Journalist Pradeep Ekneligoda will be called before the Court ing independent radio station of Appeal on April 24, 2012. said Tuesday that its man- The report on the Magisterial Inquiry in respect of this dis- agement is being changed in appearance is to be submitted to the Court of Appeal on this an effort to restrict on-air crit- date.Yesterday, the case was mentioned before the Court of icism of the government Appeal to submit the progress report of the Magisterial ahead of the March 4 presi- dential election. Inquiry in

! Sajith lashes out at UPFA. Iran wants to be Tear gas fired in Maligawatte superpower ! He should blast his leader. to control JVP protesters Israel’s deputy The police were forced to use tear gas and water canon prime minister on an unruly crowd, of over 1,000 persons, congregated at the said Tuesday that P. D. Sirisena Playground yesterday evening protesting Iran wants to against the escalating cost of living as a result of the revive the Persian Empire and once again become a unprecedented fuel price hike. major superpower with a nuclear bomb. People walking on the road who were affected by the tear gas ran helter skelter and even some of the residents of the Maligawatte Housing Scheme were affected. Pic on P 3 (L.G.)