By Chitra Weerarathne

Forty three officers of the Sri Lanka Education Administrate Service Class II, had complained to the Supreme Court that their names had been excluded from the seniority list, which picked officers to be interviewed for promotions to Class I of the Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service.

The petitioners alleged that six officers junior to them, have been interviewed for promotions, to Class I of the Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service recently.

The petitioners, had been unaware of the existence of a seniority list, which excluded their names until August 9, 2002.

The petitioners had alleged that this act of the Secretary of the Education Committee of the Public Services Commission, to call junior officers for an interview, with a view to granting of promotions excluding the petitioners, is arbitrary and in violation of Article 12(1) of the Constitution of Sri Lanka.

The petition requested the court to grant leave to proceed with their rights violation plea and to suspend the holding of such interviews, until this application is finally determined.

The petition had also requested the court to direct the Minister of Education, Karunasena Kodituwakku, the Secretary to the Ministry and other connected respondents to duly place the petitioners on the seniority list of Class II, eligible for promotion to Class I.

The petition also requested the court to direct the respondents, to interview and consider the petitioners, for promotions to Class I of the Sri Lanka Education Administrative Services.

Among the respondents are Minister Karunasena Kodituwakku, the Secretary to the Ministry of Education V. K. Nanayakkara, the Chairman of the Education Committee of the Public Services Commission and a few others.

'Registration of condominium plans impossible due to unlawful constructions'

National Housing Development Authority said that the Ministry of Housing and Plantation Infrastructure is to implement a programme to offer out-right ownership of housing units of many condominium housing projects implemented by the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) to the occupants which were earlier allocated on rental basis. This process requires registration of condominium plans with the Registrar of Lands.

In many of these housing schemes, registration of condominium plans has become impossible owing to the unauthorized constructions effected by the residents attached to their own housing units and in some cases by outside parties on common areas, common elements and reservations obstructing services. This issue is hindering the residents their right to acquire the absolute ownership of housing units.

The Ministry has established a new unit (of which the address is given below) to handle the problem of unauthorized constructions and encroachments within state implemented housing projects coming under the purview of this Ministry.

The public, especially the residents of such housing schemes are hereby requested to co-operate with the above unit inclimination of such constructions by removing them voluntarily or by informing the unit where such new constructions are coming up or have come up recently, for taking actions necessary for removal by exercising relevant legal instruments.

Relevant information may be directed to the following address in writing or through telephone or fax - Premadasa Udugampola, Managing Director, Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation, 3, Sri Jayawardenapura Mawatha, Welikada, Rajagiriya. Tel. No. 861948 - Fax No. 888295.