The Island Home News Wednesday 19th May, 2010 5 UNP seeks names Rauf upset over Ravi’s query of MPs who took BY SAMAN INDRAJITH the House. “You come Retd SC judge An oral question here and usually talk of raised in Parliament by the need to protect the away medicines UNP Colombo District supremacy of BY SAMAN INDRAJITH MP Ravi Karunanayaka, Parliament and today UNP Kurunegala dis- regarding the names of you are saying some- moves SC trict MP Dayasiri foreign dignitaries who thing else. Parliament Jayasekera yesterday visited the Eastern has every right to ask Province Chief Minister for information regard- asked the Health Minister Ravi Hakeem to reveal to Parliament the Sivanesathurai ing visits by foreign dig- names of the MPs who are Chandrakanthan, drew the nitaries,” Minister alleged to have taken large ire of SLMC leader MP Gunawardena said. against factory Dayasiri Rauff Hakeem who An irate Earlier Deputy stocks of medicine with them before the dissolution of the former termed the query as “mis- Minister of Local Hakeem says Government and the factory, contained hazardous compo- Parliament. chievous”. “ Provincial Councils nents such as Carbon Monoxide, The MP made this request citing Is it only MPs who can have foreign dignitaries Ravi K’s question Indika Bandaranayake Sulphur Dioxide and Nitrogen Dioxide newspaper reports to this affect, which he visiting them and not told the House that six etc. Children of the area had been sub- said tarnished the image of all MPs as is unbecoming of none were named in the newspaper arti- regional politicians, MP foreign dignitaries visited jected to several respiratory disorders “ Hakeem who occupies a the UNP and the Eastern Province due to the inhaling of polluted air. cles. “I would ask the Health Minister not front row seat in the UNP Chief Minister. The petitioners had alleged that the mischievous in only to give the names of those who took said. He assumed duty in operation of this project is in violation the medicine but also the quantities as He questioned the propri- nature. June, 2008 and these of Public Nuisance Ordinance and well as the types,” MP Jayasekera said ety of allowing a question of included Japan’s special Environmental Laws. The petitioners’ raising the issue as a question of privilege. this nature to be included in envoy Yasushi Akashi the US and right to life and the right to choose a He said the story has given a negative the order book of Parliament. German Ambassadors the Indian High locality of choice, for a residence is image of all the MPs especially when However, the Chief Government Commissioner, and the Deputy High BY CHITRA WEERARATHNE being violated by the respondent per- there was a shortage of medicine in the Whip Dinesh Gunawardena said any Commissioners of Australia and the sons. The petition said that authoritative country. MP had the right to raise a question in UK. etired Supreme Court Justice R. N. institutions such as the Central M. Dheeraratne and his wife Mrs. Environmental Authority and the Urban RHema Dheerarathne have com- Counsel of Kalutara had been inactive plained to the Supreme Court that a fac- in preventing that environmental disor- DNA demands Fonseka’s tory manufacturing fire briquettes, has der. been recently set up near their residence The petitioners requested the Court immediate release at Nagoda Road, Kalutara. The emission to declare the violation of there rights. by Saman Indrajith MP Handunetti said General Fonseka of smoke, dust and noise have caused pol- The petition was yesterday support- must be released immediately. lution of the environment and the locali- ed by Sanjeewa Jayewardane, instructed The DNA yesterday called for the ty had become unliveable for people who by G. G. Arulpragasam. immediate release of their party leader had lived in the area for generations. Deputy Solicitor General Bimba J. Sarath Fonseka and said even nature has Paddy husk and saw dust was being used Tilakaratne appeared for the State. obstructed the commemoration of the vic- tory day celebrations without the man who as raw material in the project. The Supreme Court yesterday grant- was the real hero of the war. The petition also said that the factory ed leave to proceed and fixed the hearing “Today the real war hero is in custody is owned by Power pPlus Renewable for a later date, on September 14, 2010. but the people do not accept any celebra- Energy Developers Private Limited of The Bench comprised Justices Dr. tions which he is not a part of. Even nature Nawala Road, Nugegoda. The petitioners Shirani Bandaranayake, K. Sripavan and does not accept it,” DNA MP Sunil feared that the emission of gases from P. A . R a t n a y a k e . Handunetthi told Parliament citing the can- cellation of the V-Day parade due to heavy rains. UDA now Urban Demolition Agency – Ranil The UDA is no longer the Mews Street in Colombo, to which Urban Development Authority the house owners had deeds, were but the Urban Demolition demolished without any alternate Agency which goes around accommodation being provided. demolishing houses, Opposition Prior to the houses being leader Ranil Wickremesinghe demolished, such an order should charged in Parliament yesterday. be gazetted but this had not been He sad that 80 houses at done he said. (SI) Over... From page 1 She told The Island that in addition to are: the Kalutara 5,082, Gampaha 18,576, the indirect thundershowers, heavy showers Kurunegala 44, Galle 2,200, Puttalam 100 would also spread to the Central Province and Trincomalee 150. and some parts of the North Western All District Secretaries and Divisional province. Heavy rainfall and strong winds Secretaries have been instructed to provide could be expected at some places, particu- cooked meals to the affected people. larly in the South Western region, she said. Each family will be given dry rations to She added that the coastal areas would the value of Rs. 245 to Rs. 525 per day for experience strong and gusty winds. Winds up to one week. that had been blowing across the sea had a The officials said that necessary speed of 60 km per hour and fishermen arrangements would also be made to esti- have been given bad weather warnings. mate the damages and a maximum of Rs. Officials added that several main roads 50,000 would be give for a damaged house- and roads in rural areas of the Western, hold and it would be released in three Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces installments. Compensation would be paid remain impassable and though the rains for crop loss up to Rs. 20,000. have subsided, certain areas are still sub- According to the Disaster Management merged. Ministry, grassroots level public representa- On a Directive of President Mahinda tives, local government representatives and Rajapaksa Rs 2.3 million was released yes- officers from Divisional Secretariats would terday alone for relief efforts. be required to combine the immediate, Disaster Management officials said that short-term and long-term flood mitigation the worst affected district was Colombo, where 21,404 families had been severely plans for their respective divisions to be affected. The figures for the other districts submitted along with the estimates. Gods... From page 1 Commenting on the postponement of weather. It was scheduled to be held on the victory day celebrations, JVP the Victory Day, May 18, at the General Secretary Tilvin Silva said that Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo. even the weather had interfered with the “The government imposed a three per government’s plans because the gods did cent Nation Building Tax during the war, not approve of what it was doing to claiming that the proceeds would go to a General Fonseka. war heroes’ welfare fund and tax was still The JVP announced that it had can- being levied even after the end of the war celled its special Adhishtana Pooja seek- but nothing had been done for the welfare ing the release of Fonseka because of bad of war heroes,” Silva said. Rapist... From page 1 she came to the school to collect her reinstated and paid half the salary pend- School Leaving Certificate. ing inquiry. Kularatne said he had initiated an Kularatne said the Education inquiry after receiving a directive from Ministry had received instructions from Maheepala Herath, Chief Minister of the Chief Minister Herath to initiate a dia- Sabaragamuwa Province. The suspect logue with the clergy, political leader- had been also investigated in respect of ship, the judiciary and the police to two charges of misappropriation of explore ways and means of preventing funds and forcing the victim to undergo similar incidents. He admitted that there an abortion. had been reports of similar incidents. The Education Ministry of the He stressed that the Education Sabaragamuwa Province has turned Ministry on its part would not protect down a request by the suspect that he be anyone found guilty of an offence. Cop... From page 1 When their attempts failed the sus- trying to turn around to get back to the pects had sped away in the three wheeler. main road since the bylane it had taken A few home guards who were in had a dead end. civvies had seen the incident and given The home guards handed over the sus- chase to the three wheeler and found it pects to the Warakapola Police. Nimal... From page 1 Group of Companies, he is a past the Board, Sri Lanka Telecom that Mr. pupil of S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia. Welgama has been appointed a Director Secretary to the Treasury P. B. and Chairman to the SLT Board of Jayasundera has written to Secretary to Directors..