In Brief

Free seed-paddy for returnee farmers

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Government of Sri Lanka initiated a programme to distribute free seed paddy to farmers affected by recent floods and to those returning to their villages after the conflict.

In addition free planting materials were distributed among villagers to encourage them to take up subsidiary food crop farming. Ruwan Jayasundara, Divisional Secretary said that 460 farmers selected from Gomarankadawala area were given six bushels of seed paddy sufficient to cultivate a maximum of two acres. Farmers selected from among 16 farmer organizations were given maize, groundnut, greengram and cowpea as planting materials, he added.

Seminar on Tea

A training seminar on ‘Sustainable Developments in Quality, Safety and Health Aspects of Tea’ will be conducted by the institute of Chemistry Ceylon at its headquarters in Rajagiriya from 8.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. On December 2.

This seminar intends to provide modern concepts in tea to industrialists, researchers and executives working in these areas and also for those who intend to venture into these fields. Resource persons will deal with constituents of tea, their taste and health promoting properties, applications of good agricultural practices in plantations, post-harvest management of tea, tea processing, value addition and product development and application of packaging technology to sustain the quality and safety of tea.

CP Budget to be presented

Kandy Daily News special correspondent

The Chief Minister Central Province Sarath Ekanayaka will present the Budget for 2012. The budget debate will continue for four days November 24-25 and 28-29 said, the Secretary of the Council.

Ladies' College OGA annual Xmas dinner

The Ladies' Colelge Old Girls' Assocaition will host their annual Christmas dinner on Monday, Decemebr 5 at the Ramada Colombo.

The "Silent Hands" will entertain the audience with a hailarious skit.

The Polcie Brass Band will be in attendance.

Those interested should contact the school office or the committee at your earliest as tickets for the event are limited.

50th anniversary of Sinhabahu from Nov 22 to 23

The 50th anniversary of the popular drama 'Sinhabahu' will be celebrated on November 22 and 23 at Peradeniya. 'Sinhabahu' will be staged at the Sarachchandra open air theatre at the University of Peradeniya at 7.00 pm on November 22.

This will be followed by a special felicitation at the arts theatre of the University of Peradeniya on November 23 from 3.45 pm. It will include lectures by Prof. Tissa Kariyawasam and Dr. Micheal Fernando on the drama and Prof. Sarachchandra Ediriweera's contribution in general.

A book comprising articles from several eminent scholars and edited by Dr. Liyanage Amarakeerthi and published by the Arts Council of the University of Peradeniya will also be launched. On the same evening, there will be a special presentation at the Sarachchandra open air theatre by a group of artists including Nissanka Diddeniya, Jayalath Manoratne and Mark Anthony Fernando (The 'Lion" in the first production of ''Sinhabahu'' in 1961) from 7.00 pm.

The Arts Council and the Vice Chancellor of University of Peradeniya extends an open invitation to all artists who were involved in Prof. Sarachchandra's work at various stages, and all those who are interested to participate in these events, Dr. Shyama Banneheka, Chairman / Arts Council - University of Peradeniya said.

Undersea quake in Laccadive Sea

A magnitude 4.7 undersea quake occurred around 3.40 p.m. yesterday 341 Km away from Colombo and 371 Km away from Negombo, the US Geological Survey reported. The quake occurred at a depth of around 10 Km in the Laccadive Sea. There was no possibility of a tsunami and no tsunami warning was issued in Sri Lanka, Maldives and India (the epicenter was 500 Km from Nagercoil, India).