In Brief

Excise revenue to rise

by Jayampathy Jayasinghe

The collection of excise revenue is bound to increase in the future following the re-opening of excise stations in the Wanni and Mannar areas. The Chankani Excise Station have been re-opened while steps are being taken to open the Kilinochchi Excise Station, the Commissioner General of Excise, D.G.M.V. Hapuarachchi told the Sunday Observer.

He said plans are afoot to recruit a new batch of excise inspectors and guards who will be posted to these newly opened excise stations. However no date has yet been fixed for recruitment. The dearth of officers to serve in the Northern areas has arisen as a result of officers not being willing to serve in these areas despite the cessation of hostilities, he said.

Meanwhile, several buildings belonging to the Excise Department in the Wanni and Kilinochchi areas have been reclaimed.

Much damage has been caused to these buildings when the LTTE was active in these areas, he said. The Commissioner General said although there wasn’t much illicit liquor in the Northern Province, the Excise Department will enforce the collection of licensing fees from liquor distributors in areas such as Jaffna, Vavunia, Mannar, Chankani, Mallakam and Point Pedro. Meanwhile, palmyra liquor is also manufactured at Thikkam, Valikamam, Varani and Chankani.

School vacation from April 6

by Kamalanath Liyanage

The first term school vacation for all government schools in the island will commence on April 6, according to the Media Spokesman of the Ministry of Education, Prasad Manju.

The second term for all Sinhala and Tamil schools will begin on April 22 and for the Muslim schools on April 19.

He said all schools are on schedule to complete the first term tests before April 6. Manju said the General Election on April 8 will not hamper school schedules. Non-government schools will decide their own vacation periods, he said.

Bandaragama, Kalutara drainage network to be renovated

by L.S. Ananda Wedaarachchi

The clogged drainage network in Bandaragama and Kalutara will be renovated soon, enabling the farmers to cultivate thousands of acres of paddyfields abandoned during the last few years.This renovation project was revived on the initiative of Western Provincial Council member and Kalutara district UPFA candidate for the General Election, Vidura Wickramanayaka.

Wickramanayaka said thousands of farmers in the area will benefit from this project.Under the agreement Sri Lanka signed in this regard with Israel, the funds and machinery for the renovation project will be supplied by the latter.

It has now been decided to take up this project under the Bolgoda River irrigation scheme, he said.A spokesman for the Kalutara Irrigation Engineer’s Office said some of the water pumps which had been installed in the 1970s were either damaged or removed. The sea and flood waters continue to stagnate in paddyfields in the area due mainly to the non-availability of water pumps and the clogged canals, he said.

All iron water gates of the drainage scheme need extensive repair or replacement, the spokesman said.

Lightning forecasts

by Prabuddha Athukorala

The Meteorological Department will introduce a new lightning prediction system in the near future, Deputy Director for Weather Forecasting and Disaster Management Activities S. R. Jayasekara said.

The new system for lightning forecasting will be in the form of a map displaying the lightning probability areas with corresponding intensities.The Deputy Director said areas which are most likely to experience (more than 80 percent chance) are indicated in red while orange signifies areas with less probability.Jayasekera said this map will be circulated at 3 p.m. daily to the media. This will come as welcome news especially for thunderstorm-prone areas lying in the south western slopes of the central hills.

AGM of Bandaranayake O.B.A. today

The Annual General Meeting of the Old Boys' Association of the Bandaranayake, M.M.V, Veyangoda will be held at the College main hall today March 28 at 9.30 a.m.

The meeting will be followed by a get-together and a luncheon at Magalegoda Sevenday rest.

Me Avurudu Kale today in Kandy

Me Avurudu Kale, a show of Sinhala New Year folk songs and traditions by Sahan Ranwala, organised by the Old Rajans Scout Association of Dharmaraja College, in aid of the Lake View Park International Scout Centre, will be held today, March 28 at the College auditorium, Kandy at 3.30 and 6.30 p.m.

Observer Punchi’s mother dies

Ambalangoda Liyanage Nandawathie de Silva (84) of 2B 75L, Raddolugama National Housing Scheme, relict of Simon Silva Gardi Punchihewa, mother of the Sunday Observer senior staffer (Cartoonist), Jagath Gardi Punchihewa (Punchi), Tamara Thejini and Buddhisiri Sarath, passed away, after a brief illness.

Funeral will take place at Raddolugama Vatthawa tomorrow at 4.00 pm.

Poya Day lecture

The Conference of Sri Lankan Malays (COSLAM) will hold its monthly Islamic lecture in the shade of the Holy Quar'an at the Zahira College Hall, Colombo 10 on Monday, March 29 at 10.00 a.m. Former Senior Lecture Jamiah Naleemiyah, Beruwela, Sheik Saffie will speak on "The uniqueness of Allah (SWT) and its practical importance to life".