Wickremesinghe decides to prohibit use of His Excellency' to address President
abolish presidential flag
Colombo(PTI): Sri Lanka's interim President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday decided to prohibit the use of the word 'His Excellency' to address the President and abolished the presidential flag, as he underlined his commitment to protecting democracy and the Constitution of the crisis-hit country.
Rather than protecting individuals, protect the country, Wickremesinghe, who is also the prime minister, said after he was sworn in as Sri Lanka's acting president until Parliament elects a successor to Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who resigned after protests against his government for mishandling the economy that bankrupted the country.
He said as the acting President he decided to prohibit the use of the word His Excellency' when addressing the President. He also said that the presidential flag will be abolished as the country must gather around only one flag, which is the national flag.
I will never pave the way for, or aid in any unconstitutional act, he said in a special televised statement, adding the collapse in law and order will negatively impact the country's economy.
He warned that the supply chain of food, electricity, and water may be disrupted, and the people must understand the dangerous situation ahead.
He said a special committee has been appointed with the Chief of Defence Staff, Inspector General of Police, and Commanders of the three-armed forces to maintain law and order in the country with zero political intervention.
He called on the politicians to cast aside their ambitions, and think about the country.
Commenting on the protests that have been taking place in the country, Wickremesinghe said that immediate measures will be taken to maintain the law and peace in the country.
Peaceful protests are accepted, however, there are some engaged in acts of sabotage...There are fascist groups that are trying to incite violence in the country. Such groups snatched weapons and ammunition from the soldiers recently. 24 soldiers have been injured and two of them are in critical condition, he said.
Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, leaving millions struggling to buy food, medicine, fuel and other essentials.
The citizens protested for months to press for the resignation of the government led by Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
BESCOM to organise EV expo for Secretariat employees in Jan 2025
Bengaluru (PTI): To encourage the adoption of electric vehicles (EV), Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) announced on Friday that a special EV fair will be organised for the Secretariat employees in January 2025.
During a meeting at the BESCOM office, Managing Director Mahantesh Bilagi said, "The fair is being organised following a directive of Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh and will be conducted under the supervision of Energy Minister K J George and Additional Chief Secretary of the Energy Department Gaurav Gupta."
According to him, the event aims to educate attendees about the benefits of environmentally friendly EVs and to encourage the adoption of two-wheeled EVs.
"During the fair, dealer discounts to government employees, particularly those in the Secretariat will also be offered. There will also be opportunities for practical demonstrations of the vehicles at the exhibition site," added Bilagi.
He said the Secretariat employees will also benefit from no down payment and low-interest loans to purchase the EV vehicles.
"EV companies are eager to participate and the sales will extend beyond the exhibition, continuing in the future," the Managing Director said.
The state, particularly Bengaluru, has the highest electric vehicle (EV) users, said Bilagi, adding that to support this, the Energy Department has provided essential infrastructure.
"BESCOM's efforts in promoting EV usage have been recognised with the 'Charge India 2024 Excellence' award. This award is a testament to our commitment to establishing excellent charging facilities. Karnataka has the country's most public electric vehicle charging stations, with a total of 5,765 stations, of which 4,462 are located in the Bengaluru Urban district," said Bilagi.
The Secretariat Employees' Association president Ramesh Sanga and other office-bearers, BESCOM Technical Director H J Ramesh as well as senior officials attended the meeting.
