Has he become a celebrity in his new home?

While our Police sleuths are still on the trail of the evasive main accused in the Treasury Bond scam, one may be surprised to hear that the quarry of the months-long man-hunt has surfaced in a club in the City of the Lion, where he has gone underground.

A costly love life!

There was a political heavyweight hailing from Gampaha district well- known as a playboy during the yahapalanaya days.

Dry provisions galore then; not even a coffin now!

Though there were dozens of politicos falling over themselves to distribute parcels of dry provisions to the people during the first coronavirus wave in the run up to the general polls, none of those do-gooder- politicos are coming forward these days to help a poor bereaved family by buying them a coffin, now that the second wave of the pandemic has begun claiming the life of some victims, say people from low income sections of the city.

Secret behind not opening the car park!

A vehicle park built at a township not far from the main city at a cost of Rs. 6.5 million several months ago is being kept unopened despite the heavy traffic congestion on the road-stretch where it is chock-a-block at all times of the day.

Fleecing the loan seekers!

The buddy of an influential politico heading a branch office of a thrift and credit society located in an upcountry city is said to have made it a practice to ‘charge’ a commission from members whenever they seek to obtain a loan from the society.

Distance rule distanced!

The law in operation in regard to locating fuel filling stations requires that the distance between two stations should not be less than five kilometres. However, a plan is afoot to open a fuel filling station at a certain road when there is another filling station situated just about one kilometre away on the same road, they say.

It was his swansong!

A khaki high-up has reportedly ignored a tip-off given by a prominent politico to take into custody five tipper truck drivers along with their vehicles transporting waste matter for dumping into a well-known wetland north of the main city.

It would have been a news-making picture!

The symbolic cutting of the cake to celebrate the birthday of government Diyawanna politicos in the Number Two’s office has now become a well-established tradition.

Diyawanna trio commuting by bus!

Three Diyawanna members reportedly do travel by bus to attend the council as they have no vehicles.

Enjoying the bliss of a care-free life!

A group of political colleagues who paid a courtesy call on the Green party leader the other day had found him in a very cheerful mood, they say.

Kicked upstairs for being upright!

It has now come to light that a certain white-collar high -up had been transferred to a different Ministry following his refusal to grant permission to hold a musical concert to mark a political event.

Their honesty didn’t suit the wheeler-dealers!

Two honest and diligent white-collar ones who had been serving in two separate zones of a river-based development scheme had been suddenly moved out causing them much grief following the change of the political authority responsible for the scheme.

Local politicos to get trade stalls!

There is a move afoot to distribute 40 of the 130 trade stalls put up by the council of a main city in the upcountry to the politicos of the mini- administration, they say.

A luxury suite for lady love!

A prominent politico has reportedly acquired a luxury apartment solely for his lady love.

He gave her a fright!

Two Diyawanna members, a pretty lady and a young gabby purohita are the main characters in this story.

Manipulated the defeat of the budget to spite a rival!

The annual budget of a local body in Uwa had recently been defeated despite the ruling government party commanding a comfortable majority.

Caught red-handed!

The main character of this story is a white-collar high-up handling account in a state-run establishment dealing with pharmaceuticals.

Political clout comes to his rescue!

A punishment transfer a three-star khaki high-up got on being served with a charge sheet with no less than 25 counts, has now been cancelled following the intervention of an influential politico, they say.

Now the mountain comes to Mohammed!

This prominent politico involved in a court case had been released on condition that he should mark his presence at a station responsible for maintaining law and order at regular intervals. However, nowadays, a khaki one from the station visits the residence of the politico carrying the attendance register for the latter to mark his presence, they say.

Queuing up to obtain divine blessings!

Some prominent politicos in the country are said be seen these days lining up at the ‘shrine’ of a ‘deva-maani’ (sorceress) at a historic ‘thalawa’ area in Rajarata carrying offering trays to obtain divine blessings and get their future read.

Their price was too high!

Stories about intriguing episodes that played out behind the scene in the run-up to passing of the 20A are said to be galore.

Offer is too tantalizing to reject?

A political bigwig had the other day received an SMS message from a very high place, they say.

Hope springs eternal in the human breast!

There is a Blue stalwart from Wayamba who cast his lot with the Pohottuwa at a very late stage. A well-known film fan, this politico had earlier held high office both in the Blue party and the Blue party-led regimes.

He found the advice amusing!

There are no permanent friends or enemies in politics, they say.

Tried to up the price!

On the day the vote on the 20A was taken, some Diyawanna members behaved like children, they say.

They gave way to his sense of self-importance!

The main character of this story is a national list Diyawanna member from the North. A new laboratory was set up at an institute of higher studies in Jaffna recently with the funding by an international cooperation agency of a foreign country.

Taken for a ride!

This is also an amusing anecdote related to the 20A. The main character of this story is a learned Diyawanna politico representing a district in the Western province who goes about nattily dressed.

Incriminating documentation destroyed

The authorities who had been conducting investigations on unsafe constructions following the collapse of the five-storey building killing a young couple and their child, have found that the vital documentation relating to seven other unsafe buildings had gone missing.

A costly miscalculation

This politico was so sure that he would win a seat at the last general polls, he took a big building on a monthly rent of Rs.2 lakhs to run his political office.

Impractical move to win brownie points

A prominent political authority has decided to shift an establishment related to construction work functioning under his purview to a state-owned building complex in keeping with a policy decision taken by the regime.