In Focus

Promoting fresh cows' milk among schoolchildren

by Rohana JAYALAL

The Northern Centaral Provincial Council launched a programme to set up a network of 60 fresh cows' milk sales outlets in the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa districts,the Nothern Central Provincial Council (NCPC) Chief Ministry media unit said.

The programme is aimed at strengthening the local dairy industry (which had a set back owing to the free market economic policies) and build a healthy young generation by inducing, especially children, to consume wholesome fresh cows' milk instead of imported milk food.

According to the NCPC, it set up these sales outlets under the initiative of the Chief Minister, Berty Premalal Dissanayake. Many such outlets have already been set up in several schools and this project would help wean students and others from consuming soft drinks and various other unhealthy drinks. This project will also increase milk production in the area and also increase the value of local milk products.

School principals, offices and institute heads in the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa areas who are keen to set up such milk sales outlets in their schools, offices and institutes could now seek assistance from the NCPC. According to records of the NCPC, the composition of fresh cows' milk included water (78 per cent), proteins (10 per cent), lactose (5 per cent), fatty acids (2.3 per cent) and minerals (4.7 per cent).

News in brief

by Rohana JAYALAL

About 72 per cent of dengue patients from the Colombo district are below the age of 20. The number of persons who died from dengue througout the country upto August 13 is 186 while 25,880 dengue cases were reported during the same period, a Health Ministry source said.

According to the Ministry source, the most number of deaths (45) and cases (4,262) had been reported from the Colombo district while the number of deaths reported from Gampaha district is 25. The number of dengue cases reported from Gampaha district during this period is 3,015. Sixteen dengue deaths and 2,570 cases were reported from Jaffna district by August 13.

Education Ministry Secretary Sunil S. Sirisena says they plan to draft a new education bill by mid December this year.

Currently the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Education is accumulating various viewpoints of public interest groups so that their suggestions can be amalgamated during the preparation of the new education bill.

The new bill is said to contain several reforms for the Grade 5 scholarship examination as well as O/L and A/L examinations through measures such as the addition of a technology subject stream for A/Ls. A national policy is to be prepared for the education sector.

More than 500 cases of child abuse have been reported in the past six months from some 420 government and privately maintained children's homes in the country, Department of Probation and Child Care Services (DPCCS) said.

DPCCS Commissioner Sarath Abeygunawardana said online, that legal action would be taken against those responsible and alleged that some of these cases of abuse had occurred with the knowledge of the main guardian of the children's homes.

The Central Cultural Fund on instructions from the National Heritage and Cultural Affairs Ministry has inaugurated a cultural conservation project known as 'Wayamba Cultural Square' centralising Dambadeniya, Panduwasnuwara, Kurunegala and Yapahuwa, the Information Dept. said.

The estimated cost is Rs 400 million and it is designed to be completed in five years. Financial allocations will be provided by the Central Cultural Fund and the State.