President's completion of one year in office

CEB organises pinkama

COLOMBO: A special pinkama to mark President Mahinda Rajapksa's completion of one year in office organised by the CEB under the direction of Power and Energy Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne will be held at the Sasara Rehabilitation Home for Disabled Children Gothatuwa at 10 a.m. today.

Under this programme, the CEB has made arrangements to rehabilitate the home's electricity supply scheme and provide it with a stock of utility items including furniture, curtains and other linens. The inmates will also be entertained to a tea party as a part of this pinkama.

Health Ministry religious programmes

COLOMBO: Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva instructed ministry officials to launch religious programmes to mark President Mahinda Rajapaksa's completion of one year in office.

Programmes will be commenced today at 27 hospitals under the administration of the Ministry of Health. The programmes: Saturday: Pirith and religious activities in all hospitals, Sunday: Sangagatha Dakshinawa and awarding of savings accounts to newborn children at De Soysa Maternity Hospital and presentation of awards to resident patients, Monday: Sharmadana in all hospitals and blood donation camps, Tuesday: Special seminar for doctors, nurses and hospital staff.

Pahan and bodhi pooja

COLOMBO: The Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotion will conduct a 84,000 Pahan Pooja and Bodhi Puja in the Kalutara Bodhiya today at 6.00 p.m to mark the President Mahinda Rajapaksa's first year in office.

The Adhishtana Sama Paa Gamana will also start from the Kachcheri Complex in Kalutara at 4.30 p.m.

Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardana will provide dry rations to 150 families in Ranawiru Village in Dhombhagoda. The Minister will also provide 1000 plants and free phones to the villages. He will also provide free phones to Samurdhi officers in Kalutara.

Islamic religious programme

COLOMBO: The Sri Lanka Islamic Society in collaboration with Ihsaniyyah Arabic College Colombo has organised a Special Islamic Religious Programme to mark President Mahinda Rajapaksa's completion of one year in office at Peer Saibo Mosque, Peer Saibo Street, Colombo 12 today at 3. 30 p.m.

Ihsaniyyah Arabic College Director and Sri Lanka Muslim Peace Council President Moulavi Al Haj. Niyas Mohamed will preside.

Food parcels for poor

COLOMBO: Co-operatives and Cooperative Development Minister M. Najeeb Abdhul Majeed will distribute food parcels to 100 low income families and 100 students schools material today at 10.00 a.m. to mark President Mahinda Rajapaksa's completion of one year in office at Hewa Vitharna Vidyalaya Rajagiriya.

Pahan pooja

COLOMBO: An 84,000 Pahan Pooja will be held to mark President Mahinda Rajapaksa's completion of one year in office at the Muthiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya, Badulla at 6.00 p.m. today.

The Pahan Pooja will be held with the participation of Deputy Minister of Justice and Judicial Reforms, Constitutional Affairs and National Integration Dilan Perera.

Religious activities

COLOMBO: Several religious and other activities have been organised in Katugampola electorate by Media and Information Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa to mark President Mahinda Rajapaksa's first year in office.

The minister will inaugurate work on the Dungalapitiya road near Nedalagamuwa Sri Pushparama Temple today at 9.00 a.m.

The distribution of dry rations to inmates of Sandalankawa Elders Home, tree planting campaign in school and offices in Giriulla and Pannala and shramadana campaigns to clean Dambadeniya and Sanadalankawa Hospital premises are among other activities.

A Bodhi Pooja will be held at the Yapahuwa Raja Maha Viharaya at 5.30 p.m. with the participation of ministers and MPs of Kurunegala district.

The main religious ceremony will be held at Nedalagamuwa Pushparama Temple at 6.30 p.m.

Development in South

COLOMBO: The Coconut Development Authority (CDA) will open the second Regional office and Private Public Partnership (PPP) programme in the Southern Province to mark President Mahinda Rajapaksa's completion of one year in office.

CDA is to commence several programmes in the Southern region.

CDA Chairman D.J.U. Purasinghe said under the guidance of Coconut Development Minister and Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Salinda Dissanayake and the Gamin Gamata concept under the Mahinda Chinthanaya, CDA is to further strengthen its activities in the Southern Province to address issues at the grass roots level of the coconut industries in the Mini coconut triangle covering Tangalle, Matara and Hambantota.

CDA's second regional office will be opened on December 19 at 1.30 p.m. by Minister Dissanayake in Tangalle.

The second programme would commence at Private Public Partnership (PPP) Programme at Waraggoda, Beliatta on November 19 at 3.00 p.m.

The main objectives of this project is to uplift the living standards of rural people by generation of employment and transferring the technology from urban areas to interior rural areas.