Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

The LTTE light aircraft which dropped two bombs onto the Kelanitissa Power Station, took its return path from the land side to a certain extent and stuck to the sea route and had returned to uncleared areas from the North of Mannar.

However, the F-7 interceptors which were airborne from Katunayake, though detecting the Tiger aircraft could not take the target due to technical reasons. According to experts and those who observed the light air craft, the LTTE aircraft had arrived towards Colombo covering its engines with armour plates so that the heat is not released outside the engine avoiding the seeking missile system on the F-7 interceptors to lock the target to release the heat seeking missile to destroy the target.

To release the missile the missile system had to lock the target.

It is also believed that it was due to these heavy armour plates that the Tiger aircraft had taken more than one hour to reach Colombo and taken a similar period to return to either Iranamadu or Mullaitivu after dropping two bombs onto Kelanitissa Power Station.

However, the incident confirms the destruction of the LTTE aircraft which was returning after dropping two bombs on Wanni Security Forces Headquarters few weeks back. Because, they have taken precautionary steps to avoid such a repetition this time by covering its engines with heavy armour plates as they were aware was to why their aircraft got caught to the SLAF missile attack.

Dismissing the JVP s criticism of 40 ministers, non-cabinet ministers and deputy ministers receiving Rs 100,000 a month as house rent, Higher Education Minister Professor Wiswa Waranapala said that it was certainly more economical than providing official bungalows.

U. E. Perera, Co-ordinating Secretary (Media) to the Higher Education Minister, who is among the beneficiaries of the scheme implemented in April last year, told The Sunday Island that the Cabinet had decided to pay an allowance of Rs 100,000 monthly to those who were entitled to an official bungalow.

Perera said that his minister took care of his accommodation with Rs 100,000 whereas the government had to provide a fully furnished bungalow and meet water and electricity bills of others entitled to the housing perk. He asserted that those who lived in government bungalows were entitled to power-guzzling air-conditioning to brave the heat among other facilities.

Responding to our queries, he said his minister had rented his daughter s house at No 35, Obahena Road, Madiwela, Kotte.

According to the Office of the Chief Government Whip of Parliament, the minister s wife, Rani, functions as his private secretary. Among the perks and privileges afforded to private secretaries, coordinating secretaries and media secretaries was an official car.

The office said that in keeping with a recent government circular, some of them had opted to receive a monthly payment of Rs 30,000 forgoing their right to use an official car. The government has taken up the position that paying a monthly allowance was cheaper than providing and maintaining a car.