Quick Look

Boost for Kalutara tourism

K. A. Perera Wadduwa special correspondent

Tourism in the Kalutara district will receive a boost as tourist hotels in the coastal area are gradually picking up. The Tourism Ministry will set up tourist villages to attract more local and foreign tourists, a Ministry official said.

Under this program Ampitigala in Madurawala Divisional Secretariat Division will be developed as a tourist village by the Ministry, Director Planning Anura Ranasinghe of the Ministry said.

The Ministry has allocated Rs. 130,000 to provide facilities to tourists without damaging the natural environment.

He has brought to the notice of District Secretary of Kalutara S. Happuarachchi, that no other development projects will commence this year except the Ampitigala tourist environmental village.

Overland ride to England

After a lapse of 14 years, motor cyclist S de S Costa has made a comeback looking ahead to perform an overland ride to England. Costa is expected to set off in the first week of May.

Costa, 69, served as an Army officer before taking in motorcycling which earned him a number of awards.

“Now I am going to be a septuagenarian but still I maintain my army fitness. I believe in regular work-outs to keep my physical fitness,” Costa said.

Rs. 8,100 million water supply project in Colombo

Today, President Mahinda Rajapaksa is uniting the entire nation like D.S. Senanayake did in the past. At this juncture, it is the duty of everyone one of us to support the President in his noble endeavour, Water Supply and Drainage Minister A.L.M. Athaulla said. He was speaking at a function held at Pattiwila, Biyagama recently.

Minister Athaulla inaugurated the water purification project of the Kelaniya River South Bank Water Supply Scheme which is handled by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board.

The entire project involves Rs. 8,100 million and an additional one million people in Colombo district will be directly benefited once the project is completed in 2010.

This project will meet the water requirement of residents from Ja-ela, Kandana, Ekala, Mahara, Biyagama, Ragama and Welisara areas.

Matale roads developed

Roads in the Matale area have been reconstructed through the Rattota Pradeshiya Sabha allocating Rs. 3.9 million.

They are Annasiwatta road costing Rs. 100,000.00, concreting the Raththota Kannaththa Road at a cost of Rs. 227,000, construction of the Dombagoda Rathwaththa Community hall at a cost of Rs. 169,250.00, Development of Nikol Oya Watta Community hall at a cost of Rs. 139,700.00, Concreting the Bambaragala Kawarachchadi Div Road at Rs. 908,500.00, Development of Ovela Watta Community Hall for Rs. 189,000.00, Development of the Sudugama road spending Rs. 609,900.00, and concreting the Nikol Oya Jana Udana Gama road at a cost Rs. 601,900.00.

Accounting Forum 2009

Accounting Forum 2009 will be held on April 23 at Hotel Galadari from 2 p.m. on ‘Sustainable Business Growth through Stakeholders Satisfaction’.

This will be the sixth successive Accounting Forum organised by Accountancy Students’ Association of University of Kelaniya.

The chief guest will be Prof. Sarath Amunugama, Vice Chancellor, University of Kelaniya while the guest of honour will be Prof. G. L. Peries, Minister Export Development and International Trade.

Bukhari Muslim Majlis feast

The Feast of Bukhari-Muslim Majlis Ketchimala Dharga - Beruwala will commence on Monday April 27 after Subah prayer.

The Grand Feast will take place on Sunday, May 31, 2009.

AGM

The 51st Annual General Meeting of the Ceylon Artillery Association will be held on Sunday May 10 at the Regiment of Artillery, Panagoda at 11.30 a.m.

Transport will leave SLESA, Fort at 9.15 a.m.

‘Peterite Super Night’

In aid of raising the funds for building constructions of St. Peter’s College, Udugampola and Gampaha branch schools, the musical entertainment ‘Peterite Super Night’ will be held on May 2 at Udugampola school grounds at 5.30 p.m. The chief guest will be Most Rev. Dr. Oswald Gomis, the Archbishop of Colombo.

Krishnamurti talk

A recorded public talk on “What makes our lives so fragmented?” delivered by the late Indian sage J. Krishnamurti will be replayed at Anula Nursery School Hall, 310, High Level Road, Colombo 6 at 9.45 a.m. on April 26.

The event is organised by the Krishnamurti Centre, Sri Lanka Inc.

State management course

Government Servants’ Training Institute will train 750 junior servants in the area of State management.

Those junior officers who have already passed the relevant competitive examination to qualify for promotion to management service will undergo this training between May 4 and July 20 at Sathosa auditorium, Director of the GSTI, W. Wickramesinghe said.

40,000 jobs for Lankans in Italy

Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Ministry will sign a memorandum of understanding with the Italian Government to obtain 40,000 job opportunities to Sri Lankans in Italy shortly.

These employment opportunities will mostly include jobs in health services and hotel trade.

This agreement will discourage illegal entry into Italy for employment purposes in future, Secretary to the Ministry Sunil Sirisena said in a press release.

Bill passed

The Nation Building Act (Amendment) Bill was passed with a majority of 54 votes in Parliament yesterday. The TNA asked for a division and voted against. Meanwhile, the JVP also voted, against while the UNP abstained from voting.

The NFF, JHU and CWC voted in favour. In addition the Local Authority (Special Provision) Amendment Bill was also passed in Parliament yesterday.

Lunawa projects will be completed soon

Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told Parliament yesterday that the work of the Lunawa Environmental and Community Development Project will be completed by September this year at a cost of Rs. 3381 million.

The Minister further said that the Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Ministry has already appointed a committee headed by Susiri Wickramaarachchi to look into the progress of the project. “A committee report will soon be submitted to Parliament,” he said.

The Minister was responding to an oral question raised by JVP Mp Jinadasa Kitulagoda.

Govt-EU dialogue on GSP plus

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told Parliament yesterday the Government has not agreed to allow European Union (EU) to conduct any investigation as a pre-condition for the extension of the GSP Plus concession to Sri Lanka.

The Minister said the Government is only having a dialogue with the EU for the extension of this facility.

The Minister was responding to a statement made by the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe that the Government has allowed the EU to conduct an investigation on Sri Lanka to retain the GSP plus relief package for Sri Lankan exports to EU countries.