Quick Look

Suicide cadre's brother held

RAFIK JALALDEEN

A brother of an LTTE suicide cadre was arrested yesterday by Kalutara North police in Alvis Watte, Kalutara, police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera said.

Following information, Kalutara North police deployed a team and arrested the suspect and a van while he was at a garage in Alvis Watte, Kalutara South. "The suspect was a brother of a suicide cadre who was arrested in the Modera area sometime ago", SSP Gunasekera said.

The suspect is a resident of Hekitta, Wattala.

Police are investigating whether the suspect had any link with the LTTE.c10npm08.bm

They stood for separatism

Chaminda Perera

National Freedom Front Leader Wimal Weerawansa said the names of several individuals who stood up for separatism for the past few decades have been proposed to the Constitutional Council.

According to Weerawansa, the State machinery will be in jeopardy if they are appointed to the CC.

"The CC established under the 17th Amendment to the Constitution is not accountable to any authority in the country and the individuals recommended by it are appointed to key positions of Government agencies when such posts fell vacant"' he said.

Weerawansa said his party was not consulted when the representative of minority political parties was proposed to the CC.

Ulamas to support UPFA

Shirley Wijesinghe

Sri Lanka Muslim Ulamas Party(SLMUP) has decided to support the UPFA led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the forthcoming Western Provincial Council election.

Sources added the SLMUP will also join in the UPFA election campaign.

The SLMUP will select three candidates from the Colombo district and decided to conduct the election campaign asking preferential votes for them. The candidates will be named in due course.

Workshop on agro tourism

The Tourism Ministry organised an in house workshop on agro tourism for rest house managers and owners of private rest houses in fruit growing areas on March 11, 12 and 13. The workshop will brief participants on fruit growing as an agricultural commodity and the consumption pattern of fruits by the tourists who visit the country.

It is proposed to distribute equipment for growing plants in rest house compounds during the workshop.

Girls' High School, Mt. Lavinia anniversary

Girls' High School Mt. Lavinia will celebrate 85 years on March 13 with an almsgiving to 62 members of the Sangha followed by Seth Pirith to invoke blessings on the Security Forces, staff and students of the Balika Vidyalaya.

Fallow land under plough

Twenty five acres of abandoned paddy lands at Sannasgama, Lellopitiya in the Pelmadulla Agrarian Services Division is being recultivated after repairing Weweldola anicut at a cost of Rs. 248,000.

Farmers were unable to cultivate paddy in this land for about 10 years as they could not supply water due to the dilapidated state of the anicut and now over 50 farmers could cultivate paddy due to the repairing of the anicut said N.K. Jayawardhana-Secretary Sannasgama Farmers Organisation.

Discussion

Dr. Kent Williams from the US Department of Energy will discuss “Peaceful applications of nuclear technology” via Digital Video Conferencing with A/L students, members of the Youth Nuclear Society of Sri Lanka professionals of nuclear medicine, food irradiation and other relevant areas, from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11 at the American Centre, 44, Galle Road, Colombo 3. Call 249 8180 or 077 299 2143 for registration.

Dasa Paramitha Perahera

The 17th annual ‘Dasa Paramitha Perahera’ organised jointly by Athula Dassana Buddhist Centre at Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7 and Sri Gnanalankara Reverence Hospital Buddhist Centre at Chandraleka Mawatha, Cotta Road, Colombo 8 will be held today (Medin Full Moon Poya Day) at 7.00 p.m.

The event is conducted under the patronage of Ven. Borelle Athula Thera. The main purpose in organising this event is to invoke blessings on the three Armed Forces and all Sri Lankans.

Special commemorative stamp

A special commemorative stamp to honour the late Gate Mudliyar M. S. Kariapper will be issued by Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Mahinda Wijesekara at a function to be held at Zahira College, Kalmunai on March 13 at 9.30 a.m.

Mudliyar Kariapper was former M. P. for Kalmunai and Junior Minister of Home Affairs and Road Development in the first D. S. Senanayake Cabinet in 1947. He was also a Cabinet Minister for Posts, Telecommunications, Cultural Affairs and Social Service in W. Dahanayake’s Cabinet.

A. H. M. Azwer, former Minister and Presidential Advisor, in a statement has thanked Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Mahinda Wijesekara for issuing this commemorative stamp, for he (Mr. Azwer) was the first to ask in Parliament to honour the Late Gate Mudliyar by issuing a stamp for the services he had rendered for the development of irrigation and agriculture in Eastern region.

He was most appreciately called the “Father of the Eastern Province” for the legendary leadership he gave to the people of the East and for maintaining absolute peace among Muslims, Tamils and Sinhalese during the colonial era and thereafter the independence period, Azwer said.

Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Old Girls' Association of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya will be held on Saturday at 2.00 p.m. at the school's main hall.

Public talk

Dr. Basil de Silva will deliver a public Buddhist talk in English on "Helpful aids to mind culture" at a meeting of the Servants of the Buddha Society on Saturday at 4.30 p.m. at Maitri hall, Lauries Road, Bambalapitiya.

Islamic lectures

Eminent Scholar Ash Sheikh Mufti M. H. M. Yoosuff will deliver a talk on "Talaq - an Islamic Perspective" today at 10.30 a.m. at the Nimal Road Jummah Masjid, Bambalapitiya.

Meelad-un-Nabi program

The Meeland-un-Nabi program will be telecast tomorrow at 11.00 a.m. over ITN. A discussion on the life of Prophet Mohammed will be presented by Javid Munawwar. Moulavi Mahir and Sri Lanka Islamic Society President M. R. Farook will also be featured. Siddeek Haniffa is the program producer.

Public lecture on solar energy

"Utilization of solar energy as an alternative energy source and options available for Sri Lanka" will be discussed at a public lecture organised by the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka (IESL) on Thursday.

The lecture by K. Gnanalingam will be delivered at 5.15 p.m. at IESL Auditorium, 120/15, Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 7.

K. Gnanalingam has wide experience in the field of solar energy and was involved in research on solar refrigeration, a pressurised solar flat plat hot water system with Professor Chinnapa while working as a Research Assistant in the Mechanical Engineering Department at then University of Ceylon - Peradeniya.

Book launch

The English translation of Asoka Kumara Karunaratne's "Perani Govitane Asiri Siri" will be launched on Wednesday at 2.00 p.m. at the SLAAS auditorium under the patronage of Speaker W. J. M. Lokubandara.

Colombo University Vice-Chancellor Shanika Hirimburagama will chair the occasion. Indigenous Medicine Minister Tissa Karaliyadda and SLBC Chairman Hudson Samrasinghe will also participate.