'Facilities at Lake House to be upgraded'

Sandasen Marasinghe

Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited Chairman, Bandula Padmakumara yesterday said that he had a special affinity for journalists as he himself, being a journalist and promised to take measures to equip the Lake House with the latest printing technology to ensure a quality product.

He said that the Lake House had received Cabinet approval to purchase a new printing machine that could print 60 colour pages simultaneously, worth Rs. 750 million. It is also planned to introduce the CTT technology to the Lake House as well.

Chairman Padmakumara made these observations at the presentation of Service Awards to company staff who had completed 25 and 35 years of service in 2007, held at the Hotel Taj Samudra.

He said these staffers who worked so long at Lake House genuinely loved the institution but there were also certain staffers and Trade Unions who loved to see it ruined.

The management would keep an eye on those saboteurs in the Lake House which was a national asset and defeat their designs. He would summon a meeting with all the employees of Lake House and reveal the vicious intensions of these elements.

Further addressing the occasion the Chairman stated that the employees of the Lake House were puzzled last March as to whether the Lake House could grant the bonuses as it was not a profit making body. But at the end of the year the company obtained a profit of Rs. 30 million.

The Chairman promised he or his director board would never curtail the privileges enjoyed by the employees of the company.

He said the nine employees who completed 35 years and 105 who completed 25 years service have rendered their service to Lake House faithfully. Everybody should work for the betterment of the Lake House as it was a National asset. Lake House spent Rs. Seven million on this ceremony to pay back the gratitude to those employees.

The Board of Directors of Lake House was also present at the event.