Govt. appoints more ministers when people suffer: JO

The Joint Opposition (JO) yesterday said the government had appointed a new set of State and Deputy Ministers when the people are going through hard times.

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Chairman G.l.peiris said fisher folks in Negombo and Chilaw are refraining from fishing due to the increase of kerosene prices and the price reduction approved yesterday was not acceptable.

“Fisher folks demanded that at least the price of a kerosene litre should be Rs.65 if the price was not brought to the previous price. Paying Rs.70 per litre is still high.the value of the rupee had recorded a new low against the US Dollar. Meanwhile, the government owes Rs.500 million to the company which provided oxygen to State hospitals. Due to the unavailability of oxygen at hospitals, no operations are being

Fisher folks demanded that at least the price of a kerosene litre should be Rs.65 if the price was not brought to the previous price. Paying Rs.70 per litre is still high

performed.against this backdrop, the government had appointed another set of ministers,” he told a news briefing.

Meanwhile, he quoted UPFA MP Dilan Perera and said Parliament had become a ‘Perpetual Treasuries Parliament’.“in the meantime, the COPE has become ‘Perpetual Treasuries COPE,” he said.

He said a government under former president Mahinda Rajapaksa should have direct discussions with Singapore to bring back former Central Bank (CB) Governor Arjuna Mahendran to Sri Lanka.

When asked whether the same method would be adopted to bring back diplomats Udayanga Weeratunga and Jaliya Wickramasuriya who are evading Sri Lankan Courts, Professor Peiris said anyone against whom allegations had been levelled would be brought back.

“However, allegations against Udayanga and Jaliya are contentious whereas charges against Mahendran are crystal clear. Under a Rajapaksa government, we will also cleanse the COPE and return EPF funds which were lost as a result of the bond scam,” he said.