Cabinet shoots down school hours cut

By Kelum Bandara

The Cabinet yesterday opposed the proposal for cutting down the number of weekly school days from five to four.

The Cabinet which met without President Mahinda Rajapaksa discussed this proposal put forward by the President earlier as a measure to cut down on the use of fuel under the present circumstances.

The President requested the Cabinet Ministers to come up with their own ideas on this matter.

However, most Cabinet Ministers objected to this idea and Education Minister Susil Premajayantha pointed out that some elements were trying to make an issue out of this proposal. He said that this was only a proposal and the Cabinet never approved it.

Eventually, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake instructed the authorities concerned to make a statement clarifying the true position of the Cabinet.

Among other members who expressed their views against this proposal were Ministers Dinesh Gunawardena and D.E.W.Gunasekara.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet also discussed the disaster caused by the floods in several districts in the country during the last few days and relief measures to be taken immediately.

Minister Rajitha Senaratne gave a detailed account of the damage caused in the Kalutara district.

At the meeting Disaster Relief Services Minister Rishard Bathiudeen said his Ministry would pay for the release of rice from the Co-operative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) for flood victims. It was also agreed to purchase rice stocks from the private sector because the stocks available at the CWE were hardly sufficient to meet the demand.

The Cabinet, however, did not discuss the proposals for bringing down the cost of living because the President was not present.