COVID-19 LOCAL CASES TOTAL CASES EXECUTIVE 3,114 PRESIDENCY: DEATHS RECOVERED ACTIVE GR’S CASES 195 12 2,907 RS. 70.00 PAGES 80 / SECTIONS 7 VOL. 02 – NO. 50 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2020 CASES AROUND THE WORLD LITMUS RECOVERD TOTAL CASES 18,732,375 IT IS TIME STATE BANKS DEATHS FOR SEX BLOCK LOAN TEST 26,547,441 874,431 EDUCATION RELIEF »SEE PAGES 8 & 9 THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE CONFIRMED UP UNTIL 7.30 P.M. ON 04 SEPTEMBER 2020 »SEE PAGE 11 »SEE BUSINESS PAGE 1 SIYAMBALANDUWA SOLAR PARK Tenders to be called in Nov. BY MAHEESHA MUDUGAMUWA Accordingly, the Environmental Impact would call for tenders. Cabinet approval had been granted Meanwhile, Asian Development Assessment (EIA) is currently ongoing “The funding for the project is not to construct the solar park in 2016 but Bank (ADB) is currently evaluating The State Ministry of Solar, Wind, and Grid Power Generation and will be completed in two months. yet finalised and we will go for an it had been delayed since then. the technical possibility of whether Projects Development is to call for tenders to construct the State Minister Duminda Dissanayake open tender. We have not yet decided In parallel to the solar park the tenders should be called for 100 first-ever 100 MW solar power park in Siyambalanduwa, told The Sunday Morning that the whether we will go for a government- construction, another transmission MW at once, as four 25 MW plants, Monaragala in November, The Sunday Morning learnt. documentation work is to be completed to-government project or not,” line project will also be implemented, or 10 x 10 MW plants, the State in two months, after which the Ministry Dissanayake said. Dissanayake added. Minister added. MCC compact In the spotlight 20A to Parliament still being in two weeks BY SKANDHA GUNASEKARA Sabry PC told The Sunday Morning. reviewed Meanwhile, Secretary General The Attorney General’s (AG) Office The Government is to submit to Parliament Dhammika is still in the process of reviewing the the 20th Amendment to the Dasanayake, explaining the process Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Constitution to Parliament within of the enactment of an amendment, agreement. a period of two weeks. said the first reading of the draft “There is no new information regarding “We are waiting the amendment would be followed by the review process. We will inform of any constitutionally required two weeks a week’s period for any objections significant developments,” Co-ordinating after gazetting before submitting it to before the Supreme Court. Officer to the AG Nishara Jayaratne SC Parliament,” Minister of Justice Ali Contd. on page 2 told The Sunday Morning. Contd. on page 2 Moragoda appointment NOROCHCHOLAI EXTENSION only after approval CEB cancels The appointment of any with Cabinet powers, would only ambassador, including one-time come into effect after approval by external lawyer minister Milinda Moragoda as the Parliamentary Committee on the High Commissioner to India High Posts. Contd. on page 2 The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has decided to cancel the legal consultancy agreement entered into with an external lawyer to draft agreements related to the formation of a Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe arrived at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) probing incidents of joint venture with China Machinery Engineering political victimisation on Friday (4) after being issued notice to appear at the Commission with regard to a complaint lodged Corporation (CMEC) for a 300 MW extension by former Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Development Dr. Nihal Jayatilaka PHOTO LALITH PERERA to the Lakvijaya Power Station in Norochcholai, The Sunday Morning learnt. US SANCTIONS ON CHINA Contd. on page 2 India stands Impact on Port Kandy tremors City unclear report tomorrow firm on 13A The impact of the US sanctions imposed The Geological Survey and Mines Bureau India refuses to budge on its told The Sunday Morning. on 24 Chinese companies, which include the (GSMB) is finalising the report that would be stance on the 13th Amendment Meanwhile, State Minister of company involved in the Colombo Port City published tomorrow (7) over the recent seismic despite reports of possible changes. Provincial Councils and Local Development Project, is still being evaluated activity that was reported on two separate days “The position of the High Government Affairs Sarath by the Port City management and the relevant in the vicinity of the Victoria Reservoir, The Commissioner has not changed. Weerasekara said that he expected state authorities, according to Colombo Port Sunday Morning learnt. The High Commissioner a number of changes to be made City Development Project Director Bimal Engineers at the Victoria Reservoir noted reiterated India’s longstanding to the 13th Amendment via the Prabath Gonaduwa. that their control centre operators are constantly position on peace and new constitution. He told The Sunday Morning that the direct monitoring the dam’s water levels and pressure reconciliation and the full “I believe the new constitution impact of the sanctions was not clear and levels, and when the first seismic activity was implementation of the 13th will do away with any detrimental that details were yet to be received by the recorded, an alert was generated. Amendment,” a spokesperson aspects of the 13th Amendment.” authorities. CAPITAL HEIGHTSContd. on page 2 for the Indian High Commission Contd. on page 2 Contd. on page 2 CAPITALRS. 34 MILLION HEIGHTS Multimodal Centre UPWARDSRS. 34 MILLION UPWARDS revenue Rs. 11.2 m CAPITAL HEIGHTSz Rs. 600,000 monthly revenue by z Park and ride yet to RS. 34 MILLION VISIT OUR contributing solar energy to the grid be monetised UPWARDSWEBSITE BY SARAH HANNAN to further develop other MTHs the Easter Sunday attacks and CAPITALVISIT HEIGHTS+94 OUR 763112233 that are to be constructed the drop in commuters using RS.35SHOW APARTMENT MILLIONWEBSITE UPWARDSRS. 34 MILLION The Ministry of Transport in the main cities across the facility during the Covid- READY FOR INSPECTION UPWARDS has drawn plans for two more the country. 19 lockdown period, we only multimodal transport hubs The Sunday Morning spoke managed to bring in Rs. 11.2 PROJECT NEARING+94 763112233 COMPLETION VISIT OUR(MTHs) in Kandy and Galle to Makumbura Multimodal million in revenue.” SHOW APARTMENT WEBSITEfollowing the success of the Transport Centre Manager Dr. With it being opened to the VISIT OUR first-ever multimodal transport Kalyani to inquire whether the public in March 2019, the +94 763112233WEBSITE hub that was constructed in facilities provided at the hub MTH is frequented on a daily READY FOR INSPECTION SHOW APARTMENT www.capitalheights.lk SHOW APARTMENT +94 763112233 Makumbura, Kottawa last year. are being properly utilised by basis by commuters who enter READY FORREADY INSPECTION FOR INSPECTION According to ministry the commuters. the city of Colombo and travel PROJECT NEARING COMPLETION officials, the Makumbura “We were given a target of to the Karapitiya Teaching PROJECT NEARINGPROJECT NEARING COMPLETION COMPLETION Multimodal Transport Centre Rs. 15.3 million in revenue Hospital in Galle. is to be used as the benchmark generation per year, but with Contd. on page 2 2 the sunday morning FOCUS/NEWS Sunday, September 6, 2020 BY SKANDHA GUNASEKARA INCREASE IN INMATES Illegal immigrants With President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s all-or-nothing being held at crackdown on the illegal detention centre narcotics trade going into full force in the past few months, Commissioner General of Prisons resources Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya the already congested prison system in Sri Lankan said that illegal immigrants is bursting, with some 5,000- are being kept in the Mirihana odd additional individuals Detention Centre. “Unless they’re sent to the being incarcerated in the last prison system via a court order, two months alone. fully stretched they are detained at the Mirihana Commissioner General of Prisons Detention Centre,” he stated. Thushara Upuldeniya said the voice his views on the need to sudden increase in prisoners had conduct rehabilitation programmes be trained in various skills such strained the prison system. for drug users in place of serving as carpentry and masonry, so as “There are about 8,000 drug them with prison sentences. to become skilled workers upon addicts in prisons across the island, “The rehabilitation of #lka drug completion of their prison terms. 5,000 of whom were incarcerated users is a far more fruitful solution The Avant Garde Group and its within the last two months.” to this scourge that plagues our Chairman Maj. (Retd.) Nissanka The Commissioner General said nation over persecution. Following Senadhipathi will provide the prisons were facing issues of drug discussions with both ministers teachers, trainers, as well as the addicts going into withdrawal and of justice and rehabilitation, all meals for the programme. The suffering from health issues due to stakeholders showed interest project would function as a public- the lack of drugs, and also suicides to initiate a prog. that explores private partnership (PPP) between and attempted suicides. solutions,” Minister Rajapaksa the Government and the Avant “There have been three suicides tweeted. Garde Group. of drug addicts in the last few weeks Senadhipathi, speaking to The within prisons in Sri Lanka as they Sunday Morning, said he would underwent withdrawal symptoms gladly bear all the costs for this as a result of going cold turkey to They (prisoners) will be taken programme, and that prominent cease addiction,” he said. to various locations with companies in the industrial and He said that the incidents took the supervision of the prison business sectors were keen on place at the Welikada, Negombo, officials and they’ll be working taking part in the project as well. and Boossa Prisons. PHOTO© GETTY IMAGES in those locations. Top-level “Prisoners will be utilised He went on to note that as a result businessmen and construction after being trained for different of the increase in the number of that’s weighing on the prison of remand prisoners as well as such as increasing the number of agencies have agreed to work vocations such motor mechanics, inmates, the costs incurred by the system.