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Green light for Mihin Air despite storm
Friday, 19 January 2007 - 7:21 AM SL Time
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The Government has decided to go ahead with plans to launch the controversial budget airline `Mihin Air` utilizing State funds, Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said yesterday.
He said the Civil Aviation Authority had now been approached to obtain the air license.
`The Government has taken a policy decision to start the airline. It will be a fully owned Government company. The initial capital will be from Government funds,` the minister told the news conference to brief journalists on weekly Cabinet decisions.
Ports and Aviation Minister Mangala Samaraweera had earlier sought Cabinet approval for the airline which will initially fly to selected West Asian and Indian destinations.
`We published notices in the print media on plans to launch the airline but as there were no objections to it we have decided to go ahead as scheduled,` Minister Yapa said.
`Mihin Air is budget airways which will minimize the cost spent on air travel up to 50 per cent in the future,` he said.
Parliament debated the controversial issue recently on an adjournment motion proposed by UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake.
While presenting the motion, Mr. Karunanayake had alleged the Board of Directors for the airline comprised Presidential Advisor Sachin Vaas Gunawardane, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Finance Secretary P.B. Jayasundera and Air Vice Marshal Roshan Gunatilake.
The MP had said the country`s aviation industry was in the doldrums today due to competitiveness and unprofitability and instead of confirming the way forward for SriLankan airlines the Government had decided to launch Mihin Air.
Seconding the motion, JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake had charged the Government was attempting to conceal some serious matters pertaining to the air service, according to information available with him.
However Minister Yapa insisted yesterday the airline would be launched by following the normal procedures despite the controversy surrounding it.
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VaLbAwA
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 19 Jan 2007 01:45:52 GMT Report for Abuse
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Green light for Mihin Air despite storm
Despite Every where ...Ignore all of fool Despites and start this massive project....This is very important for SL future..
I wish ALL the parties...including MR..GR..Vass gunawardhane...done MIHIN AIR |
LankanWay
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 19 Jan 2007 01:45:54 GMT Report for Abuse
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| I think this is part of Air-Force and Defence Ministry. |
LankanWay
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19 Jan 2007 01:53:53 GMT Report for Abuse
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COLOMBO: Mihin Air will be established as a fully Government owned company, Mass Media and Information Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said refuting allegations that the Employees Trust fund will be depleted for the capital investment for this venture.
'The Government will provide the capital but there will be other sources of funding too.'
Responding to media queries, he said a lot of misinformation has been spread in the media with regard to this budget airline that would be similar to Sahara air of India. 'This budget airline will minimise the cost spent on air travel by up to 50 per cent in the future,' he explained.
Yapa said the Government has already taken the policy decision and Cabinet approval for establishing the Mihin air as a Government owned company has been granted.
This low cost airline will be aiming to provide affordable services to less affluent travellers, people leaving for overseas employment, particularly in the Middle East as well as travellers to India to promote regional tourism, said the Minister.
The Memorandum on Mihin Air was submitted to the Cabinet by Ports and Aviation Minister Mangala Samaraweera.
Source: Daily News |
Kulakottan
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 19 Jan 2007 02:02:31 GMT Report for Abuse
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Whats the highest priority?????
Its not reducing the cost of living....
Its not improving the railways..
Its not improving the higways....
Its not improving the education in rural areas....
Its not developing the employemnt oppotunities for the educated...
It is not improving the healthcare of the masses....
Its not making Sri Lankan Airlines as a truly national carrier..
It is not reducing inflation and quality fo peoples' life...
IT IS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A GOVERNMENT OWNED NEW AIRLINE WITH MY NAME WHICH WILL LOSE MONEY FROM THE DAY ONE
It is Rajapakse's time .....not Bandaranaike's |
ahmadineja
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19 Jan 2007 02:02:51 GMT Report for Abuse
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I reproduce a briefed (due to limited space)news article from today's daily mirror.
Push for Vakarai gathers steam
Army?s final warning to LTTE Concerns over starving civilians Monitors return to offices
By Sunil Jayasiri and Easwaran Rutnam
The final push for the LTTE stronghold of Vakarai in Batticaloa is expected to gather steam over the weekend with the security forces preparing to issue a final warning to rebel cadres in the area to surrender even as the military claimed it had urged the United Nations to assist trapped civilians out of the area.
In the meantime the SLMM said it would be deploying at least half of its monitors to the strife-torn districts including Batticaloa to resume on-site monitoring which was carried out from Colombo during the last few days as a result of an ongoing SLMM workshop.
SLMM spokesman Thorfinur Omarsson said two monitors had already returned to the Jaffna office while two each would return over the weekend to Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Vavuniya.
Fighting has been raging in the East during the period the ceasefire monitors were out of action.
?This will be the final warning to those LTTE cadres, who have no alternative other than to immediately surrender to the military or face consequences,? a senior Defence Ministry official told the Daily Mirror.
He said troops had already surrounded the entire Vakarai area and were in the process of capturing the Panichchankerni Bridge. Meanwhile the LTTE has forcibly taken control of the Vakarai hospital amidst heavy casualties following confrontations with the security forces.
The military said the LTTE had damaged the bridge to block vehicular movement including food convoys scheduled to move into the area yesterday.
?Tigers are now attacking civilians, who are trying to flee the area,? the official said quoting civilians who reportedly fled under LTTE fire.
With some 35,000 civilians entering Government controlled areas it is estimated that more than 5000 civilians still remain in Vakarai.
?As long as the hospital is not used to commit hostile acts, such as launching military offensives or storing military equipment in its compound, the hospital must not be attacked. Civilians who have sought refuge in or near the hospital have to be respected at all times,? the ICRC said. |
Swathi
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 19 Jan 2007 02:08:29 GMT Report for Abuse
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I thought Mr Brown brought this for us to discuss something other than WAR!
Mihin Air - What for? Why we need another?
Where is the money coming from? and why Defence secretary in the board? |
ahmadineja
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19 Jan 2007 02:10:45 GMT Report for Abuse
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There are few interesting points mentioned in the above DM article and I like to highlight just 2 of them.
In the meantime the SLMM said it would be deploying at least half of its monitors to the strife-torn districts including Batticaloa to resume on-site monitoring which was carried out from Colombo during the last few days as a result of an ongoing SLMM workshop
...interesting, no? all of a sudden, very much eager to go monitor!!
?As long as the hospital is not used to commit hostile acts, such as launching military offensives or storing military equipment in its compound, the hospital must not be attacked. Civilians who have sought refuge in or near the hospital have to be respected at all times,? the ICRC said
....interesting point. I wonder who is firing from the hospital!! civillian patients???? |
tamilcanuck
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 19 Jan 2007 02:12:00 GMT Report for Abuse
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| Somefolks are so blinded by the koti that they seem to dream about them too. they cant tolerate any other topics!! |
Swathi
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19 Jan 2007 02:17:38 GMT Report for Abuse
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TC:
They have nothing other than to love taking all the punnakku.
I got an info to say that boys between 15-18 yr are being arrested in the east and brought to colombo. They may for me look like these so called surrender of child soldiers if that info is true. |
tamilcanuck
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19 Jan 2007 02:20:20 GMT Report for Abuse
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Swathi,
true. chk this out
http://www.ltteps.org/
Ten under-18 years old sought protection from military ?
Jaffna Human Rights Commission
According to the Jaffna branch of the human rights commission ten children (under-18) are among the 40 civilians who have sought protection with the human rights commission. These civilians have been produced before the courts and have been placed in prison for their own safety says the Jaffna branch of the human rights commission. |
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