Eastern province Chief Minister’s secretary gunned down

The secretary of the eastern province Chief Minister and his driver were killed in a shooting incident took place opposite the Steel corporation in Oruwala along the Kaduwela - Athurugiriya road this morning, 14 November.

According to the police sources, the shooting incident took place around 11.30 a.m.

The gunmen shoot at Mr Kumaraswamy Nandagopan, secretary of eastern province Chief Minister while he was traveling on a car with his driver along the Kaduwela - Athurugiriya road police sources said.

Courtesy: Ministry of Defence

No LTTE hand in Ragu killing- Pillayan

Eastern Province Chief Minister Pillayan told Daily Mirror the LTTE was not involved in yesterday’s killing of his personal secretary & top TMVP leader Ragu.

The Chief Minister said he was able to draw this conclusion after personally inspecting the crime scene in Athurugiriya yesterday.

Mr. Pillayan, who termed his personal secretary as also being the leader of the TMVP as per the electoral list, urged the authorities to bring the perpetrators to book in order to protect the democracy of the country.

However TMVP leader MP Vinayagamurthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman reiterated that the LTTE was behind the murder of his party’s senior member Ragu . He said that Ragu risked his life by traveling alone without his security personnel.

Courtesy: Dailymirror

Eastern Chief Minister’s Secretary and another shot dead in Athurugiriya

Kumaraswami Nandagoban, Private Secretary of Eastern Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan was shot dead along with another person by unidentified gunmen in Athurugiriya this morning (14).
They were target opposite the Oruwala Steel Corporation.
Meanwhile the Eastern Province Chief Minister has visited the site of the shooting.
Athurugiriya police are conducting further investigations.

Courtesy: Government Information Department

Media Minister Condemns Mangala’s Statement

Government’s aim is to establish a democratic environment, Media Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said in parliament yesterday.

The Media Minister said that they do not need to set up a dictatorial government in response to a statement made by MP Mangala Samaraweera condemning the government mechanism to eradicate terrorism.

The Minister further said that during the past three years the Security Forces proved that they can go forward without harming innocent civilians. The Forces launched a comprehensive mechanism to save Colombo and the South from the LTTE.

He also said that free and fair elections are held to establish democracy. Civil administration was also established in the Eastern Province after the elections.

The entire world counters terrorism. “We are not defeating terrorism for popularity” he added. JVP MP K. D. Lal Kantha said that certain parties with vested interests were attempting to stop the advancing Sri Lankan troops.

Courtesy: Lankapuvath

Upahara mobile package for clergy

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in a ceremony at the Presidential Secretariat formally handed over the ‘Upahara’ telecommunications package introduced by Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel to members of the clergy. The package, earlier limited to public servants and pensioners, was extended to members of the clergy following the President’s pledge to do so during his Budget Speech.

The Government will only fight with groups that are carrying weapons and not with the groups that have disarmed, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said at a ceremony.

“Our vision has enable a former child soldier to become the Chief Minister of the Eastern Province while the former second in command of the LTTE and the Head of the Eastern Province to become a Parliamentarian,” the President noted.

Speaking further, the President said an 18-year-old female who was breathing her last within a bunker after battling with the forces was found by a military officer recently. She had a cyanide capsule on her neck, a gun and a pistol. She was treated at the nearest medical dressing station and her life saved.

President Rajapaksa in his budget speech announced that the SLT Mobitel Upahara Package would be extended to the clergy, indigenous doctors and workers in cooperatives. This package had earlier been limited to public servants and pensioners.

Representatives of all religions, Minister Pandu Bandaranayake, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel Chairperson Lesha De Silva Chandrasena and Chief Executive Officer Suren J. Amarasekera were present at the occasion.

Courtesy: Government Information Department