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Accused acquitted in murder case

All three accused in the Dambulla hospital employees' murder case were acquitted by Sisira de Abrew, High Court Judge, Kandy when they were found not guilty after trial without jury.

M.W. Ran Banda, M.W. Jayatilleke Banda and U.M.M. Sarath Bandaranayake of Yatigalpoththa were indicted with committing the murder of W.M.W. Ranaweera by stabbing him with a knife on July 18, 1988 at Yatigalpoththa, Galewela.

The trial lasted several days and the evidence of ten witnesses including Dr. (Mrs) P.L. Kuruppuarachchi, DMO Matale and four productions including a knife were marked by State Counsel Damith Thotawatte, Rohantha Abeysuriya and Madhawa Tennekoon.

The trial Judge having considered the totality of evidence and submissions of the state and defence counsel decided that the evidence in the case was unsatisfactory and acquitted all the accused.

Senior counsel K.R.B. Elikewela with Martin Thelkarage appeared for all the accused.

Fully equipped rural hospital

The rural hospital in Undugoda, Kegalle is being fully equipped and developed by well-wishers in the area.

A recreation hall for the out patients and a rest room for internal patients has been constructed under this project.

It is said that the buildings of this hospital are more than seventy five years old and since the walls are quite short, patients have to suffer from drought and rain.

Under the new project these short wall will be covered by "bamboo mats" and the patients will have a sound atmosphere inside the hospital.

Drinking water shortage

Over 2,000 families in the Kegalle district are facing an acute drinking water shortage.

People in Aranayake, Dedigama, Kegalle, Deraniyagala and Rambukkana areas have received no rain during the past couple of months and therefore the water level of their own wells have decreased immensely.

Subsequently the National Water Supply and Drainage Board and the Pradeshiya Sabhas of the area provide water to families in this areas with immediate effect by using bowsers and plastic tanks.

Meanwhile the water levels of Maha-Oya is also reducing gradually.

People from all around Kegalle are coming to bathe and wash their clothes at Maha-Oya. Therefore the water of the Maha-Oya is also being polluted.

Moreover 66 elephants at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage are bathed daily in the Maha-Oya, causing a dreadful pollution to its water.

New WFP Chief in Sri Lanka assumes duties

Jeffrey C. Taft-Dick, a national of the Untied States of America, assumed duties as UN World Food Program Representative and Country Director for Sri Lanka last week. He was appointed by the Executive Director of the WFP, Rome and he succeeds the former WFP Representative Suresh R. Sharma who let the country upon completion of his assignment.

Mr. Taft-Dick has a long and distinguished career in both managing development assistance as well as emergency relief operations of the Untied Nations World Food Program. Most recently, Mr. Taft-Dick was Deputy Country Director of the WFP Country Office for Pakistan, where he led the process of the preparation of a Country Program for 2001-2003, and this multi-million dollar food aid programme was recently approved by the WFP Executive Board for assistance to Pakistan.

Mr. Taft-Dick will hold overall responsibility for activities of the WFP in Sri Lanka. WFP involvement in Sri Lanka began 33 years ago with the signing of the basic agreement with the Government of Sri Lanka in November 1968.

Neglected tanks to be repaired

Seven minor tanks in the Mirigama electorate which have been totally neglected for the past 20 years will be renovated under the rehabilitation of small scale irrigation projects.

Reconstruction work of tanks was inaugurated by Gampaha district MP Pandu Bandaranayake recently at Debahera, Mirigama.

These tanks would be renovated under the direct supervision of farmer organisations of the respective areas and once this project is completed it would irrigate 500 acres of paddy lands in Yala and Maha seasons.

Contributions for drought relief

The Drought Relief Coordinating Committee(DRCC) has received material and cash contributions worth Rs 7,410,000 from private business sector and NGOs.

These donations were made in response to an appeal made by DRCC's Chairman and the Minister of Port, Shipping and Fisheries Mahinda Rajapakse.

The donations were made by the following companies and NGOs;

Dialog GSM, Plastishells Ltd. (ARPICO), Swedish Trading Company Ltd., John Keells Holdings, Celltel Lanka, Prince and Princess of Wales Colleges, Pussellawa Plantations Ltd., Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka, German Technical Corporation (GTZ), Oxfam GB, Save the Children UK, Caritas-Sedec, CARE International, Rotary International Lions International Sino Ceylon Resources (Pvt) Ltd. JV Marketing (Pvt) Ltd., Young Women's Muslim Association People's, Bank. 

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