Quick Look

Esala festival

A. M. Gunasekera Banda Balangoda Central group corr.

The annual Esala Festival of the Boltumbe Sumana Saman Devalaya at Pinnawala in Balangoda will commence on August 20 and will end on September 05.

Kumbal Perahera will be held from August 20 to 24 and the Devale Perahera from August 25 to 30.

The street pageant Maha Perahera will be from August 31 to September 4.

The festival will end on September 5 morning with the water cutting ceremony and day perahera.

Help sought to save life

Sajeewa Nishanthi of 158/A, Saama Mawatha, Godagama, Homagama is suffering from leukaemia disease and specialist doctor Dihan Goonesekera of Cancer Hospital, Maharagama has recommended a bone marrow transplant surgery to cure this ailment. This operation is to be performed in India and will cost approximately Rs. 5 million.

The husband of this patient has no permanent job and the family with two children finds it difficult to raise this huge sum. They request the public to help them by sending this financial contributions to account number 097-2-001-9-2334916 at People’s Bank, Godagama branch, Gangodawila.

Tea cultivation clinic

A tea cultivation clinic on the theme ‘Ran Dallaka Vidu Nena’ jointly organised by the Tea Research Institute and its Uva extension office will be held at the Provincial Library Services Department Auditorium at Race Course Road Badulla on August 20 for the benefit of tea cultivators in Uva.

The clinic open to all tea growers free of charge will impart theoretical and practical knowledge about new tea strains suitable for the province, protective measures suitable for dry seasons, plant diseases and parasites, nursery control and fertilizer application methods.

Program for youth

Mahaweli Systems corr.

The Central Provincial Industrial Development and Business Promotion Department has organized a six month training program for the youth on leather goods produce in and around Nildandahinna of the Nuwara Eliya district electorate of Walapane.

Young men and women can apply to the officer-in-charge at the Technology Training Centre, old tea factory building, Nildandahinna.

Every trainee is entitled to receive a daily allowance of Rs. 100 and the deadline for receiving applications is August 31.

Appointed DG

Senior Attorney-at-Law Godfrey Cooray, an old boy of De Mazenod College, Kandana, has been appointed as the Director General of the National Institute of Fisheries and Nautical Engineering by the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Felix Perera.

Cooray is the President of the Negombo Law Society. He is also the Executive Committee Member of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and the senior Partner Godfrey Cooray Associates.

Robbed at gunpoint

Rafik Jalaldeen

A thief who stole over Rs.32,000 from a lorry driver at gunpoint has fled from the area in Buwellagoda, Walasmulla yesterday morning.

Police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera said a robber known as Buwellagoda Suddha stopped a lorry and robbed Rs.32,000 from the lorry driver along with his national ID card.

”The suspect threatened the lorry driver showing his galkatas rifle and robbed the money”, he added.

The incident had occurred in Buwellagoda, Walasmulla around 4.45 a.m.

Body found

Fred Silva Jinasena Telwatta group corre.

The body of a woman was found after three days by the Ambalangoda police at Balapitiya near the bridge on the Galle road on August 13. The body was highly decomposed.

The deceased has been identified as Meegammana Vellamadage Sumalee Leelaratna (31) of Haburugala married but separated from her husband, a mother of a child. The cause of death was unknown.

 Micronutrient program for welfare villages

A Multiple Micronutrients program has been launched by the Health Ministry for the benefit of pregnant mothers and children below 5 years among civilians in welfare villages in the North.

The program will be implemented on August 20 and 21 will include the provision of Vitamins A, D, E, C Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B 6, B 12, Folic Acid, Iron Tablets, Zinc, Copper, Celenium and Iodine, said a Ministry spokesman.

Asian Elephant Day in US

This year's "Asian Elephant Day" will be held on August 22 at the National Zoo, 3001, Connecticut Avenue, Washington D.C. 20008, the Sri Lankan Embassy in Washinton said.

Jointly organized by the Smithsonian Institution and the Embassy, the celebrations aim at creating a wider awareness of the Smithsonian's wildlife conservation efforts in Asia with special emphasis on the elephant conservation projects in Sri Lanka.

Nepal PM in first trip to India

Nepal’s prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal arrived in India yesterday on a five-day trip, his first official visit to the country. India has long been Nepal’s closest ally and main trading partner. Aides to Nepali Prime Minister said he would brief New Delhi on recent political developments and seek closer trade ties.

AFP

Kite competition

A kite competition organised for the 1st time by the Pubudu Praja Mandalaya will be held on Pubudu Mawatha, Mattegoda at 1.00 p.m. on 22.08.2009.

The award presentation and distribution of compost barrels at concessionary rates by Homagama Pradeshiya Sabha will be held at 5.00 p.m. on the same day under the patronage of the Homagama Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman.