Quick Look

Petrol for tri-shaw drivers

The Government's decision to issue a monthly quota of a maximum of 75 litres of petrol for three-wheelers will be operated from January 2009, Finance Ministry sources said.

A special coupon will be issued to the three-wheelers to enable them to obtain their monthly quotas.

Meeting on Israel attack on Palestinians

A public meeting on 'Stop Israel's genocide war against Palestinians' will be held today at 3.45 p.m. at the YMMA auditorium, Dematagoda, under the patronage of Friends of Free Palestine President Aziz Nishardeen.

The speakers include Friends of Free Palestine Secretary Mujibur Rahuman, Labour Minister Athauda Seneviratne, Left Front Chief Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne, United Socialist Party Leader Siritunga Jayasuriya, JVP Propaganda Secretary Vijitha Herath, Democratic People's Front Leader Mano Ganeshan, UNP MP Maharoof, SLMC Chief Rauff Hakeem, Sri Lanka-Palestine Solidarity Committee co-president Imithiyas Bakeer Markar and Attorneys-at-law Srilal Lakthilleke and Marsum Maulana.

Palestinian and Iraq Ambassadors will also participate.

Fertiliser distribution for Maha

Fertiliser imported by Lanka Fertiliser Company and Colombo Commercial Company under the Fertiliser Subsidy Program, under which a bag of 50 kg is sold for Rs. 350 is distributed among the farmers through the network of Agrarian Service Centres

Distribution of fertiliser for the Maha season has been completed up to 75 per cent, the National Fertiliser Secretariat said. A total of 196,412 Urea metric tons, 69,000 TSP metric tons and 57,000 MCP metric tons are due to be distributed among the farmers.

The amount allocated by the Government under the fertiliser subsidy scheme 2009 is Rs. 25 billion.

Royal '59 Group

The Royal College '59 Group will celebrate its 50th anniversary on January 6.

Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and Muslim religious rites will be performed on January 4 at the Royal College Navarangahala at 4 p.m. followed by a lunch to the inmates of the Victoria Home for Incurables at Rajagiriya on January 6.

Braille commemoration

The Postal Department will issue a commemorative stamp to mark the 200 birth anniversary of Louis Braille, the inventor of the Braille medium of communication.

An English and Sinhala Braille reading and writing competition have already been conducted at Colombo, Galle and Sandagala. Oratory competitions and debates will be conducted at the University of Colombo, Mass Communications Faculty on January 13, specially for undergraduates. A drama competition for students of Schools for the Blind will be held on January 30 at the Holy Rosary Convent, Slave Island, Colombo 2.

One woman show

Due to the acute shortage of employees the Central Dispensary at Kuda Gammana has become a one woman show. This dispensary caters to patients in five villages and is the only Central Dispensary in the area.

This is managed by Lunugamwehera MOH office. About 250 patients arrive at this Central Dispensary daily for treatment. The only doctor at this Central Dispensary does the consultation, writing prescriptions and issuing medicines.