Provincial News

Retired teachers to help 5,000 needy students on World Children's Day

S.M. Wijayaratne, Kurunegala

With a view to commemorating the International Children's Day that falls on 1st of October every year, the Retired School Teachers' Association, Kurunegala District with the help of business community has planned to donate school equipment worth of 1.5 million rupees among 5,000 needy students of remote government schools in the Kurunegala and Puttalam districts this year.

Mrs. J. Banneheka, the Deputy President of that association said that needy students who come from low-income families are selected for this purpose.

"Stationery, uniform materials and packets of milk powder will be distributed among those students at their respective Divisional Secretary's offices on that day at a brief function organised by Grama Niladharies of those areas.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education of the NWP PC has instructed all heads of schools in the Kurunegala district to celebrate this event by organising special conferences to highlight the facts on duties and responsibilities of students under the theme of "Towards a better Sri Lanka for tomorrow", she said.

That all parents should also be educated on their duties and responsibilities towards their students who become future leaders in the country.

Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council should work hard towards people - CM Mahipala Herath

by Nimal WIJAYATUNGA - Eheliyagoda Special

It should be the duty of the provincial councillors both of the ruling party and the opposition to work well for the benefit of 20 Lakhs of people in the province of Sabaragamuwa disregarding, political and other differences Sabaragamuwa PC Chief Minister, Mahipala Herath said.

He was making his maiden speech at the beginning of the new session of the Sabaragamuwa PC held recently.

The Chief Minister pointed out that the verdict of a vast majority of voters very clearly indicates that the correct thinking citizens have voted thus in order to strengthen the President's hand in his praiseworthy attempt to defeat the separatist tigers. Opposition Leader, Actor, Ranjan Ramanaike: "Though I had some unhappy experiences during the election campaign,I have decided to forget them all for the well-being of the Sabaragamuwa people. We as an opposition will always extend our helping hands towards the projects etc that would lead on upheaval of the province.

Newly elected PC chairman Athula Kumara Rahubadda: It is a great pleasure for me to be the Chairman for the second time in this provincial council and I appreciate the opposition Leader, Ranjan Ramanaike for his one-stage-for-both-party concept.

Provincial councillor, Ranjith Bandara was elected unanimously as the vice chairman of the PC.

Tsunami hit school turns teacher training college

By D.C. De Silva, Kahawa special

Old dilapidated buildings of the tsunami-hit Ratgama G/Devapathiraja National MV will be turned into a fully-fledged teacher training college, SPC Chief Minister, Shan Wijayalal de Silva told the Sunday Observer on Friday.

This school located on the beach was badly hit at the tsunami 2004, was shifted to an interior place in the same village, Ratgama, the CM said. No casualties reported as the tsunami took place on a Sunday.

Thereafter, I could get facts all those dilapidated buildings with the ground, by the Education Minister Susil Premajayantha recently in order to use the place for a more meaningful educational purpose to open a fully-fledged teacher training college including a sports complex, the CM said.

Some buildings there were damaged due to tsunami and those buildings will be removed and the rest of the buildings will be repaired to suite the purpose, the CM also said.

Very recently, the Provincial, Additional Education Department Directress, Shanthi Seneviratna acting on the instructions of the Provincial ED Director N.J. Karunadasa took over those buildings with the ground from the Devapathiraja Principal Bandula Jayasinghe for the Provincial Education Ministry and the erections of the new training college will be started shortly, the CM said. Start of a fully-fledged teacher training college was a long felt need for the area, the CM said.

Nutritious food for young mothers

Raja WAIDYASEKERA, Tissamaharama special

The pregnant mothers and breast feeding mothers in Galle district were provided with nutritious food parcels at the Akmeemana Divisional Secretariat following a clause in Mahinda Chintana Concept.

The pregnant and breast feeding mothers were selected by the officials of the Medical Officers of Health and the Samurdhi Development Officer.

The pregnant and breast feeding mothers will be provided with nutritions food parcels for twenty months.

The main motive behind the program is to see a healthy young generation in future who would contribute greatly towards the development and progress of the country.

Galle District Assistant Commissioner of Samurdhi D. Jayaratna, Akmeemana DS Damayanthi Paranagama were present.

Old Trinitians organize blood donation campaign

by S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen Kandy South

Old Trinitians Sports Club, Kandy, achieved another first when it became the first Sports Club in the hill capital to organise a blood donation campaign successfully when it did this at club's premises along Asgiriya Rajamaha Vihara Road in Kandy recently.

The Old Trinitians Sports Club was able to collect 77 pints precious blood needed for the armed forces who are fighting a valiant battle to save the soveriegnity of the motherland and critically ill patients who require this life saving precious liquid.

The Social secretary of the Old Trinitians SC Dr. Ajay Jayaseelan with the help of the Committee of the Club, assisted by the Blood Bank of the Kandy General Hospital arranged the campaign.

Also assisting the event were the Rotary Club of Kandy, Zonta club of Kandy, the Rotary Club of Kandy Heritage, Rotoract Club of Kandy and University of Peradeniya, the Interact Clubs of Good Shepherd Convent and St. Sylvesters College, Kandy.

According to the Social Secretary of OTSC Dr. Ajay Jayaseelan that a total of 77 pints of blood was collected in a day and people from all walks of life including the members of the clergy. Also gracing the occasion were the clergy from all four religions who gave their blessings and prayed for the well being of the donors, the doctors and staff of the Kandy General Hospital, the Principal of Trinity College and High Officials of the Armed Forces and many Consultant doctors.

Kandy Police, MC 'throw out' pavement hawkers

by S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy South

The Kandy Municipal Council with the assistance of Kandy Police cleared the areas occupied by the pavement hawkers in front of the Central Market in Kandy on Monday, last week.

This was indeed a laudable move as these pavement hawkers are a nuisance to the general public selling fruits which are in some instances partly rotten and they also sell short weight using kitchen scales. Some of these hawkers do not show the face of the scale and the people do not know right weight of the goods.

The fruit stall holders in Kandy Market complain that their sales are going down because of the illegal trade carried out by the hawkers right in front of the market. Many say that they had paid large sums to the shop and will have to meet overheads like taxes, electricity bills and salaries to employees.

In the past too the pavements in front of the Kandy market have been cleared and even the fruits and been confiscated and sent to orphanages but they keep coming back. It is also understood that there is a ring behind the hawkers and some of the wholesalers are providing the stocks of fruits to these hawkers hence their ability to withstand any loss due to confiscation.

Tudugala waterfall a tourist attraction

by K. A. Perera, Wadduwa Special

Tudugala Waterfall located in Dodangoda Divisional secretariat Division is one of the waterfalls in the Kalutara district could be converted to a tourist attraction according to the residents from the area.

The waterfall is located about two hundred feet above the surface and falls in two directions attractively.

However, there is no name-board or a map displayed for the outsiders who visit to view the waterfalls as a result foreign tourists face immense inconvenience.

Further, a notice board for tourists has not been displayed indicating the dangerous spots wheneven they come for bathing and the road leading to the waterfall also remains neglected.

Aruna Wijeratna a Pradesiya Sabha Member of Dodangoda told that the "Tudugala Ella" should be taken over by the Pradesiya Sabha and by developing it, the Pradesiya Sabha could earn a good revenue and also find additional employment to the youth in the area.

Pubudu Wijegunawardhana the Manager of a 'Holiday Resort' said that the surroundings of the "Tudugala Water-fall" should be kept well to attract local and foreign tourists.

Survey on non-school going children

Richmond Wijesekera, Bentota Group

The Ministry of Education has taken steps to conduct an islandwide survey of children who do not attend schools at present.

The compulsory age limit of schooling is from 5 to 14 years.

Due to various reasons approximately 50,000 children do not attend schools. With the help of Grama Niladaries, school Principals and Divisional Secretaries a project to identify those unfortunate children who do not attend schools has been launched, a spokesman of the Ministry of Education said.

He said that children who were reluctant to attend schools would be directed to attend non-formal educational institutes where they will have training on vocational fields in order to make them useful citizens.

Many children who don't attend schools are from broken families. In most cases the parents have gone abroad for employment. Consequently most children have gone a stray without proper education, he added.

However, Ministry of Social Welfare too has allocated 2.5 million rupees to rehabilitate juvenile delinquents who have committed violent activities, he also said.

Ifthar observances at Kalutara UC

by Divakara Mohotti, Kalutara group

In the history of Kalutara urban council we never had a Ramazan festival. But the get-to-gether of Muslim-Sinhala met-under the same roof of Urban Council premises to celebrate Ifthar recently, under the patronage of Chairman of Urban Council Kalutara Desabandu Al-Haj M. S. M. Mubarak.

The chairman was addressing the Ifthar get to gether.

He said that he had taken the prior permission of the Kalutara Bodhi Trust, because specially the Bodhi premises continued with Buddhist-Program- mes.

Thereby we would not make inconvenience to other religious rituals. Although the prior permission was sought to have the Ifthar function on U.C. premises, we should respect other religions and conduct ourselves in a manner without causing any difficulties to others.

"It is high time to stand together to create peace among all human beings" he stated. Chairman Mubarak proposed the vote of thanks for those participated irrespective of caste, creed and religion at the Ramazan Ifthar festival of the Urban Council.

Stolen Buddha statue recovered

by A. Keerthisingha - Alawwa special

Crime branch of the Kurunegala police arrested four suspects in connection with stealing a valuable gold Buddha statue of Muthugala Rajamaha Viharaya, Dambadeniya. (Damba Ran Budupilimaya)

Out of four two suspects are seems to be army deserters police says.

Suspects were produced before the Kuliyapitiya Magistrate and remanded. The Buddha statue was handed over to the Viharadhipathy, by Giriulla police.