Police officers donate blood to mark Police day in Jaffna

by Jaffna Special

More than sixty police officers donated blood to the Jaffna Teaching hospital blood bank at the Jaffna police station to mark the 142 years anniversary of the police department. Mr. Franklin Perera DIG Northern Range inaugurated the celebration and blood donation campaign.

Speaking at the police day celebration he said that by donating blood to save the lives of Tamil people in Jaffna Police expected to cement an unbreakable bond of trust and friendship.

"We want to forge closer cooperation and cordial relationship with the public and demonstrate in action that the act of blood donation can close the flood gate of communalism and racial rancour among different races in our country," he said.

He also said that the police were eager to draw the public into their fold and convince them that they were their friends in peace and war.

The police department he added would be in the forefront to meet the needs of the people and render their services when and where the necessity arose. Senior police officers from various police stations in Jaffna Peninsula attended the police day celebration.

Crash course for journalists in computers

by S. M. Jiffrey ABDEEN - Kandy South

The Media Unit of the Central Province Chief Minister's Office will conduct a crash course for journalists in the region in computer literary at the Educational Centre Illukmodera in Gurudeniya shortly.

Chief Minister of the Central Province Sarath Ekanayake said that initially thirty journalists would be taken for training. The journalists would be taught on all aspects of operating the computer and e-mailing.

He said that the journalists would have to move with the times and with the technological changes which was taking place around us. By providing them with this technology they will be in a position to file their stories quickly and also those working in the Publishing houses in eliminating the need to re-type the news stories as this process will result in their news stories getting into the system and the editorial staff will have less work to do. Since the editorial will have to fight with time to met deadlines, the procedure of e-mailing will result in more news stories being published," the Chief Minister said.

He hoped that the journalists will make the full use of the free computer course offered by his Ministry and meet the future challenges.

police station on LRC land

by Milton Dharmasinghe - Our Bulathsinhala Spl.

The land in which Bulathsinhala Police Station was set up a few months back and that belongs to Land Reform Commission had not yet been transferred to the Police Department legally.

At present the Police Station is set up in the buildings that Bulathsinhala MV Primary section was held and they had been abandoned for more than two years. Regarding the situation of land, when Mrs. Menaka Abeyratna, Div. Secretary of Bulathsinhala Secretariat is questioned the land that the New Bulathsinhala Police Station was housed belongs to Land Reform Commission and it has not yet been handed over to the Divisional Secretary, Bulathsinhala. As the Police Station needs urgent development the work can't be started until it is handed over to the Police Department and she has requested the Chairman, Land Reform Commission Colombo to take immediate steps to hand the said land over to the Divisional Secretary to be handed the ownership of it to the Police Department and so far no actions have been taken.

Rural students should get proper education - Chief Minister

by Ariyapala WANSATHILAKE Kurunegala Central Special

We need to expand our educational opportunity to attract students from the rural areas, said Chief Minister Athula Wijesinghe after opening of the new aesthetic unit at Katupotha Tissawa Maha Vidyalaya recently.

He said provincial Council has been given Rs. 80,700 million to uplift Wayamba education in this year and we have given basic training to all new teacher recruits while sufficient funds have been allocated for their training.

He said the opposition was trying to take teachers to the streets.

But their efforts had failed. We have allocated funds to remove the salary anomalies of employees in the education sector, he said.

He pointed out the World Bank has agreed to provide 10 million US dollars to develop schools in the eastern province.

Dharma Siri Dasanayake Wayamba PC chairman said, the education system would collapse if remedial measures are not taken properly.

Calido beach no more an attraction

by Divakara MOHOTTI - Kalutara Group

The scenic beauty of the Calido sea beach at Kalutara North used to attract tourists as well as the devotees who flocked to the Kalutara Bodhi premises.

But there is nothing that remains at present except the beach.

Previously there was a Circuit Bungalow where visitors would be able to occupy and have their meals as well as refreshments of their own.

Kalutara Urban Council had been removed the owner of the restaurant and urban council has informed that the Urban Council will keep it up to date with possible facilities. But so far nothing had been taken place.

The tourist and the public used to go to the coastal belt and return back unhappily.

Previously the schoolchildren also visited the beach to see the natural environment on their tour gradually they too were disappeared.

Tickets not issued in private buses

By. S. M. Jiffrey ABDEEN - Kandy South Group

Private coach operators operating in the Kandy - Watapuluwa bus route in most instances do not issue tickets for the fares they collect from the passengers. This is noticeable mostly in the evenings when ticket checkers form the Central Passenger Services Transport Authority do not seem to be around.

The non issue of tickets for the fares collected often leads to problems between the passengers and the conductors who at times claim that the fare had been not paid whereas the passenger would have paid the fare. But the passenger has no way of proving his contention in the absence of a valid ticket.

Further these private coaches often carry the notice that it is an offence to travel without a ticket - a ruse to cover themselves when they do not issue tickets.

In many instances the flying squads have detected these private coaches for not issuing tickets and fined them but the conductors who promptly pay up do not appear to be learning a lesson.

There is one private coaching operating on the Kandy - Watapuluwa where the conductor writes the tickets for the full journey in advance and does not issue them. These tickets are issued only when they are informed by the passing buses that the ticket checkers are around the corner. The only way to overcome this problem is to instruct the conductors to log in the details in a log sheet otherwise this subterfuge will continue. It is also understood that there are no carbon copies to these tickets making their issue meaningless.

How these conductors account their collection to the bus owners is another matter as it is understood that they pay an agreed lump sum at the end of the day.

Electricity for Delft

by Jaffna Special

The residents of Delft West who were in darkness all these years are blessed with electricity as a result of a generators being brought to Delft by the Minister of Social Service and Social Welfare Douglas Devananda.

The central part of Delft where government offices, post office and hospital are located, is the only part where electricity is available. Now as a result of an additional generator being sent to Delft, electricity is extended to the western part of Delft.

New initiatives to improve health sector - Minister

By Stanley SENEVIRATNE - Kurunegala North Group

Minister of Health Promotion said that under 'Mahinda Chinthana' several initiatives have been taken to improve the health sector.

Minister of Health Promotion and Disease Protection Jayaratne Herath was addressing the Jana Hamuwa soon after he declared opened the new rural hospital at Wellawa Kurunegala at an estimated cost of Rs. 2.5 million.

He pointed out that utilization is low in Sri Lanka provided around 0.2 inpatient admission per capita in 2003.

This heavy demand may be due to the number of factors. Lack of confidence of people and insufficient diagnostic capabilities at those peripheral centres and chief among the many reasons for patients bypassing peripheral hospitals. As a result patients are being admitted to base hospitals, as well as those in the provincial and even national level thereby causing overcrowding at these institutions.

Minister Jayaratne Herath also observed that the major thrust of the Health policy in the next 10 years as programmed by the Mahinda Chintana will be on the following areas:

1. Health promotion, prevention and control of diseases both communicable and non-communicable disease.

2. Fostering healthy lifestyles.

3. Serving the needs of underprivileged undeserved and vulnerable groups.

4. Human Resources Development with emphasis on building positive human attitudes and appropriate knowledge and skills ex. provisions of services of defined quality.

5. Strengthening quality and range existing services with emphasis on bridging the gaps thereon.

6. Minimising of regional differences ex. healthcare delivery system.

7. Ensuring availability and affordability of officials and good quality drugs.

8. Encouraging private investment to healthcare activities.

9. Improving health information system.

10. Reforming the organizational structure and management to improve efficiency, effectiveness and accountability.

11. Assuring the health resources are optimally utilised and 12. Recognition that health and other sector developments are mutually inter-dependent.

Wayamba Provincial Minister Health, Indigenous Medicine, Sports and Youth Affairs Neranjan Wickramasinghe said that his Ministry has approved a sum of Rs. 1,000 million for the improvement and supplying of health infrastructure facilities to all the hospitals in the Wayamba Province.

Bopath Falls area to be improved

Nimal WIJAYATUNGA Eheliyagoda Special

Kuruwita Pradeshiya Sabha has taken steps to launch a development scheme in an around Keeragala Bopath Falls for the convenience of local and foreign tourists who come there daily.

According to Kuruwita PS Chairman Salitha Karunaratna, nearly Rs. 11 million has been allocated for the purpose. It is hoped to spend Rs. 6 1/2 million to build a vehicle park in a plot of 2 1/2 acres situated in the vicinity. It has, been planned to build a children's garden, a resting place, line of latrines, a dressing room and a boat service will also be launched.

Hotel Corporation provides yeoman service - Minister Jayaratne Herath

by Ariyapala WANSATHILAKE - Kurunegala

Central Special.

The Ceylon Hotel Corporation has been providing a yeoman service to both foreign and local tourists for the past 40 years said Minister of Health Promotion and Disease prevention Jayaratne Herath at Malkaduwawa Maguruoya Wattha last week.

The Minister was addressing after laying the foundation stone for a new two storeyed Hotel school at Malkaduwawa Maguruoya Wattha in Kurunegala area.

Wayamba Development Authority expects to allocate Rs. 100 billion for the construction work of the Hotel School.

Minister Jayaratne Herath stated the main target of the Wayamba Development Authority was to attract the foreign as well as the local tourists to Wayamba.

The hotel school programme is very valuable for those who are seeking employment aborad. The youth who are qualified in Hotel diploma course are in great demand in the hotels in Pakistan. Hotel Co-operation certificate is very valuable in foreign countries" Minister Jayaratne Herath said. He said qualified people should be produced to suit the job market. "Sri Lanka is the best developing country in the world. Therefor we should open our doors to development without engaging in political bickering".

Bank to hold home garden competition

K. A. Perera WADDUWA Special

The Sabaragamuwa Bank has taken steps to hold a home - garden competition among women in Kalutara district to increase the food drive campaign of the Government

The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Agricultural Services will extend their co-operation to complement the project.

The Bank will grant Rs. 15,000.00 a loan to prepare the land for cultivation of vegetables.

The best home gardens will be selected in divisional secretariat division at first and finally on district level and prizes valued Rs. 50,000.00 will be awarded to the winners.

The growing of flowers, animal husbandry and bee-keeping also included in the home garden competition.

Donation of 3900 roofing sheets

Kurunegala: Three thousand and nine hundred roofing sheets have been distributed free of charge among 214 low income families of the three electorates of Mawathagama, Polgahawela and Yaapahuva according to the National Housing Development Authority in Kurunegala. The distribution was made during the period between January and August 2008. The 'authority' had picked 57 families from Mawathagama, 67 families from Polgahawela and 90 families from Yapahuva.