Must look at weaknesses and strengths of 13A: Gotabaya tells Shringla
The Hindu
President expresses desire to revive the spirit of the relations of the 1960s and 1970s
There is an “urgent need” to understand the “weaknesses and strengths” of the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution and “act accordingly”, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Tuesday told Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, while expressing a desire to revive the spirit of the relations of the 1960s and 1970s.
Mr. Shringla called on the President on Tuesday morning, before wrapping up his official visit. In addition to underscoring the need to expedite bilateral projects, the Foreign Secretary, in his meeting with President Rajapaksa on the final day of his visit, reiterated India’s position “on complete implementation of the provisions under the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, including devolution of powers and the holding of provincial council elections at the earliest”, the Indian mission said in a statement, referring to the nearly 34-year-old legislation that remains contentious in Sri Lanka.
Bengaluru saw one of its worst water crises in 2024 with ground water drying up and several parts of the city scrambling for water. With instances like BWSSB supplying treated wastewater to the construction industry, apartments being permitted to sell water from their STPs to the department, and lakes in parts of Bengaluru and neighbouring districts being filled with water from the 33 STP plants in the city, recycling of water became an important topic of conversation during this period.