MAHANAYAKES ASKED TO HELP STOP KANDY NIGHT RACES May 5, 2013  The Foundation for the Protection of Kandyan Heritage has requested the Mahanayakes Theras of Malwathu and Asgiri chapters to take necessary steps to halt the ‘Night Races’ scheduled to be held in the historic city of Kandy. A group including the Chairman of the foundation, former parliamentarian Nimal Premawansa, today handed over a written request to the Mahanayakes, Ada Derana reporter said. The motor races are set to take place on May 17 and 18 in the streets of Kandy and its organizers have reportedly received approval from the Kandy Municipal Council. Mr Premawansa says that holding night races on the streets of Kandy would harm the religious and historical condition of Kandy, home of the sacred Tooth Relic. He stated that Mahanayake of the Malwatte Chapter Ven. Thibbatuwawe Sumangala Thera had assured that measures will be taken to send a joint letter to the President regarding the matter, with the Mhanayake of the Asgiri Chapter. Nimal Premawansa vowed to resort to legal action to protect the Kandyan Heritag,e if no solution is provided to the issue People should stop paying their electricity bills: Thera The Sri Lankan population should get rid of its timid nature and should firmly refrain from paying their electricity bills, a prominent Bikkhu organisation said today. Video The United Bikkhu Front General Secretary, Venerable Thinyawala Palitha Thera told a news conference that the Sri Lankan population should get rid of its timid nature and rise up against injustice that was meted out to them.  “There is no other population in the world which is more timid than the Sri Lankan population,” he said. Referring to a judgment which was given by the Supreme Court in response to a case filed by him in the past, the Thera said he had been given the right by the courts to file legal action whenever the electricity tariff was increased. However, he said he was not willing to file action as the people were not showing any interest because of their timid nature.   He therefore urged the people to refrain from paying the electricity bills until the government decided to reinstate the earlier electricity tariff rates. The venarable Thera therefore charged that the tariff concession which was announced on May Day was a false one as the people would get a minimal benefit from it. Throwing a challenge at all ministers the Venerable Thera urged each minister to reveal to the general public as to how much of electricity they consumed at their households and its value. He threw this challenge by stating that a minister pays only Rs 2,000 as their monthly electricity charges no matter how much of power they use. He therefore said the real electricity bill of a minister comes to around Rs 70,000 per month. (YP) Video and Pix by Nisal Baduge