SUNDAY 25 JULY 2021 LATE CITY EDITION VOL: 10/33 PRICE : RS 70.00 Inside Story Divided Opposition Brings Government Together Through NCM A special discussion was held at UNP TOKYO leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s residence last OLYMPIC 2020 Sunday concerning the NCM that was filed in SPECIAL Parliament against Minister Udaya SUPPLEMENT Gammanpila by the SJB. INSIDE A8-9 Domestic work will require paperwork in future BY HANSI NANAYAKKARA Women who work as domestic workers will be required to register at the Divisional Secretariat, along with a recommendation by the Grama Niladhari, the Women Development Officer and the Child Rights Officer prior to their employment, State Minister of Women and Child Development, Pre-schools and Primary Education,... Story Continued on PAGE 2 Child Labour Listed Arrest of Bathiudeen’s wife, in-laws Suspects produced before as ‘Dangerous JMO BY EUNICE RUTH AND KEERTHI MENDIS The wife and father-in-law of MP Rishad Bathiudeen were arrested on Friday (23), along with the person who Occupation’ brought the girl to Colombo, in connection with the death of a 16-year-old girl, who served as a domestic worker at the MP’s residence. – NCPA Chair Story Continued on PAGE 2 Will be enacted as a law soon BY SULCOHANA RAMIAH MOHAN Authority (NCPA), Prof. Muditha Widanapathirana. He said currently the proposal is with the legal Child labour, which includes underage domestic draftsman and it would be soon enacted as a law. workers, has been listed under ‘Dangerous The NCPA Chairman said, “Prior to 18 June Occupations’ and will soon be enacted as a law, 2021, there were 52 occupations that were said Chairman of the National Child Protection considered as dangerous occupations and now... Story Continued on PAGE 2 Delays in receiving AstraZeneca doses Delta variant NCPA records Health Ministry cases shoot up 72 cybercrimes BY DILANTHI JAYAMANNE AND mulling options THARAKA SAMMAN last six months BY SULOCHANA RAMIAH MOHAN BY DILANTHI JAYAMANNE The number of cases infected with the delta variant of the coronavirus, In the first half of 2021, The Health Ministry will shot up when several more were the National Child Protection decide on the next best course diagnosed with COVID-19, Deputy Authority (NCPA) has of action with regard to those Director General, Disaster Management recorded 72 cybercrimes, who received the first dose of and Emergency Response, Dr. which technically could the AstraZeneca vaccine and Hemantha Herath said. reach around 144 cases by are awaiting the second dose, Dr. Herath, when contacted on Friday the year end, Chairman of Deputy Director General, Dr. (23), said a total of 68 cases of the the National Child Protection Hemantha Herath said. COVID delta variant had been detected Authority (NCPA), Prof. from random sample testing. Muditha Widanapathirana said. Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 SL to seek SJB, JVP petition against return of ola leaf manuscripts proposed Finance Bill BY NABIYA VAFFOOR a petition with the Supreme Court, – Jayakody Friday (23). He has filed a Special The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Determination Petition in the Supreme BY W. K. PRASAD MANJU and the JVP filed separate petitions in Court challenging the constitutionality of the Supreme Court against the proposed the Bill titled ‘Finance’ which was placed State Minister of Indigenous Medicine Finance Bill. The Bill presented in on the Order Paper of Parliament on 20 Promotion, Rural and Ayurvedic Hospitals Parliament by the Finance Minister on 20 July. The petitioner is seeking a Development and Community Health, Sisira July, proposes amnesties for the declaration that several clauses of the Jayakody told Ceylon Today the attention of the voluntarily disclosure of taxes that Bill require approval by a public Government is focused on bringing back to Sri should be disclosed under the law. referendum and require a two-thirds Lanka, about 2,000 ola leaf manuscripts,... SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne had filed majority in Parliament. Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 A2 SUNDAY 25 JULY 2021 NEWS Government Moves Anura Kumara slams Basil’s Finance Bill BY ANURADHA HERATH fishermen or usual Government to Remove SL from employees and the general public. JVP Leader Anura Kumara If there had been no Court case Dissanayake told Ceylon Today if against Finance Minister Basil Makandure Madhush had not Rajapaksa in connection with a died, it would have been possible house in Malwana, an opportunity COVID Red List for his black money to be made would rise through this Bill to even BY ANURADHA HERATH Malaysia, Myanmar, Minister Ranatunga said Covid pandemic can be white through Minister Basil obtain that house, he alleged. Singapore, Philippines, these countries are holding removed for Sri Lankan Rajapaksa’s new Finance Bill. Speaking further the JVP leader Minister of Tourism England, Portugal, Italy, discussions with the workers who are hoping to The first Bill submitted by added that this Bill on white paper Prasanna Ranatunga said Germany, Australia, Government through their go for jobs and education to Minister Basil Rajapaksa, as the is a black Bill and that it is not a arrangements are underway Norway, Bahrain, Nepal, Ambassadors in Sri Lanka foreign countries including Minister of Finance, is to set up a Bill for which a law has to be to remove Sri Lanka from Japan, Vietnam, France and so that this country can be the Middle East. law “to turn black money into compiled for the general public the COVID-19 red list New Zealand are included in removed from the Red List or Subsequent to it being white,” the JVP leader alleged and that it is a Bill that has been countries. the Red List and people from in other words to relax travel declared that students who adding that it is a fact that all prepared for close deceitful This is due to be done here are banned from restrictions. need to go overseas for should realise. He said such persons and friends. He also said subsequent to discussions visiting those countries and Minister of Foreign Affairs education purposes should wealth that has been earned that what this indicates is a with the Ministry of Foreign at the same time, various Dinesh Gunawardena said obtain both doses of a through illegal means is possessed message that those who are Affairs in the upcoming travel restrictions have been that at the same time, vaccine, the Minister said by politicians as well as thieving engaged in business legally while weeks. imposed subject to Covid discussions are being held the opportunity to go to a black businessmen, those dealing paying taxes should avoid tax Kuwait, United Arab rules and regulations in with relevant countries so foreign country will be made in drugs and persons maintaining payments and earn money Emirates, Laos, Qatar, those countries as well. that prohibitions due to the available. brothels and not by farmers or illegally. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Domestic work... ...School Infrastructure and and Child Development have teenage pregnancies and Child Labour Education Services, Piyal extended their support to the children subjected to abuse Nishantha de Silva, said. Police and are conducting and torture. Addressing a Media inquiries into the children The pilot project will be briefing, the State Minister who lost their parents and initiated on 24 July in the said the National Child dropped out of school. Nuwara Eliya District to find Protection Authority (NCPA) Furthermore, special solutions to the above issues, Listed... and the Ministry of Women attention will be paid to he added. ...the list has increased to He also said children under punishment for employing a 76, including child labour. 16 years of age cannot go minor is quite tough in the He said a child between 16 fishing in deep sea as it will existing law, he added. and 18 cannot be engaged in a also be considered a Child abuse takes place dangerous occupation in the dangerous occupation once within the four walls and it country. the law is enacted. has to be brought to the He added the age limit for He said the punishment for NCPA’s attention, he anyone to be employed had employing underage children underlined. Health Ministry... been raised from 14 years of is severe and so far it is not “We need to be alerted,” he age to 16 from 18 June 2021. been amended. “The told Ceylon Today. He said on Friday (23) the Ministry would wait for given the AstraZeneca Ministry was informed that another week or so before COVISHIELD vaccine as it would receive more doses deciding on what to do next. their first dose against the of the vaccine by Monday A total of 925,242 persons coronavirus. However, the (19). However, there have received the first dose move was called off after it were delays in vaccine of the AstraZeneca vaccine was announced that more Delta variant cases... arrivals causing further while the second dose has doses of AstraZeneca was delay in administering the been administered to only expected to arrive by 19 There were more cases to be He noted that the Alpha Delta was first detected in second dose, he noted. 385,885, the Epidemiology July. found in all parts of the variant of the virus had been the Dematagoda Aramaya Responding to questions Unit’s website showed. Director of the Health country. “In other words, the identified from Beruwala, Place in Colombo City. Dr. regarding the delay and the Health Authorities aimed at Promotion Bureau, Dr. variant had spread Galle, Angoda, Kotte, Jeewandara noted that increasing vulnerability of administering the Pfizer Ranjith Batuwanthudawe throughout the country,” he Kolonnawa, Ratmalana, unvaccinated persons were at recipients of the vaccine›s vaccine as the second dose said there was no fixed date said.