News in brief

Preventive detention orders quashed

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday quashed the preventive detention orders, passed under the National Security Act (NSA), against four Sri Lankan Tamils accused of smuggling iron balls, used to make explosives.

The Hindu reported that the Tiruchi Police Commissioner had passed the impugned orders between March 30 and April 4 against R. Arulseelan (31), T. Ragulan alias Anthony (31), N. Bhakeerathan alias Eelavan (27) and S. Pradheepan alias Thillai alias Dheepan (29) who are in the Tiruchi Central Prison.

No plans for separate district

Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister Karu Jayasuriya said the Government has no plans to neither carve out a separate district in the Eastern Province nor settle five-thousand families from a particular community.

Saudi Arabia donates dates

Saudi Arabia donated 223 metric tons of dates to Sri Lanka to be distributed in mosques here. Riyad Al-Kheneni, Charge d'Affaires of the mission presented the dates to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hussein Bhaila, at a ceremony in Colombo.

30% of hydro power project completed

Thirty percent of the construction of the Upper Kothmale Hydro Power Project has now been completed. An official of the Ministry of Power and Energy said 495 houses constructed under the first phase will be handed over soon to the people who are to be displaced by the project.