Quick Look

Kandy Municipal Council recovers Rs. 44.2m

Samanthi WEERASEKERA

The Kandy Municipal Council has recovered Rs. 44.2 million out of a massive Rs. 300 million in areas due from rate-payers within the past two weeks, said Acting Mayor Suminda Wickramasinghe.

Steps would be taken to recover the balance dues too soon and if all efforts failed legal action would be taken against those dodging payment.

Landslide warning

Indika POLKOTUWA

The National Building Research Institute has issued a landslide warning to people in the Western and South Eastern slopes of the Central hills.

The Institute said that if the present rainy weather continued unabated for the next few days there is a possibility of landslides occurring in the hill slopes in the Central Province and people living in these areas should be extremely careful if there is loose soil over-looking their abodes.

Felicitation ceremony

Kolonnawa group corr.

A felicitation ceremony on Kolonnawa SLFP Chief Organiser Nawalage Bennet Cooray who is also Ambassador Designate to Philippines will be held on October 4 at 2 p.m. at Rajasinghe Vidyalaya, Kudabuthgamuwa, Kotikawatte. Ven. Dr. Maduluwawe Sobith Thera is scheduled to deliver a special lecture on the occasion.

Ministers D.M. Jayaratne and Susil Premajayantha will also grace the occasion.

Cairns advertises for oil rigs

Walter JAYAWARDHANA

Cairns Energy Plc, the UK listed Indian oil giant is expected to drill for offshore oil in Sri Lanka in January 2011. The company’s advertisements asking for offshore oil rigs have appeared in the Economic Times newspaper in New Delhi.

The advertisement said Cairns wants to hire a drill ship or a semi-submersible rig in Sri Lanka.

According to the advertisement the oil explorer wants to drill three wells and two more in a deepwater block in the Gulf of Mannar for Sri Lanka.

SBS Radio biased towards Tigers

Walter JAYAWARDHANA

The Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) after an investigation found certain programs broadcast by the SBS Radio were bias towards Tamil Tigers and contravened the radio station own code of principles. The authority said the Tamil language programs on the activities of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were bias towards the terrorist outfit.

The authority said the SBS breached its own codes of practice (2006) in broadcasts of the SBS radio program Tamil Language Program in October 2008 and January 2009.

Over Rs. 4.5 m worth cigarettes seized

Rafik JALALDEEN

Three suspects were arrested along with a large stock of illegally imported cigarettes valued at over Rs. 4.5 million in Enderamulla, Kadwata yesterday morning.

Police spokesman Senior DIG Nimal Mediwake said following information received, a special team from the Kandana police raided a house located in St. Jude Road in Enderamulla and came upon a large consignment of illegally imported cigarettes. “Police found over 248,000 Gold Seal type cigarettes valued over Rs. 4.5 million,” he added. Three suspects including two women involved in the business were arrested.

Annual Sessions

The inauguration ceremony of the 103rd Annual Sessions of the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka (IESL), will take place at the BMICH today October 1 from 8.30 a.m. onwards. President Mahinda Rajapaksa will be the Chief Guest at this ceremony.

President-Elect/2008-2009 and Officiating President Eng. Dharmasiri De Alwis will be inducted as the President of the IESL, Session 2009/ 2010.

Pieter Keuneman birth anniversary

The 92nd birth anniversary of former Minister of Housing and Construction and a founder member of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka late Pieter Keuneman will be observed on October 3.

Ministers A.H.M. Fowzie, dew Gunasekera, professor Tissa Witharana, western Province Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunge, Vasudeva Nanayakkara and several other political and social leaders will pay floral tribute to the late leader’s statue near Elphinstone theatre on October 3 at 9 a.m.

Lecture

The Conference of Sri Lankan Malays (Coslam) will conduct the monthly Islamic lecture series in the shade of the Holy Qur’an at the YMMA Conference main Auditorium No. 63, Sri Vajiragnana Road, Dematagoda, Colombo 9 on Saturday October 3 at 10 a.m.

For inquiries please contact: M. Rhumy Amith - 0777 800631

Prize - giving

The annual prize distribution of Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Colombo will be held at the School’s Vimala De Silva auditorium on October 2 at 1 p.m. Colombo University Vice Chancellor Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama will be the chief guest. Principal Mrs. W.D.P.K. Samarasinghe will present the annual report.

Children’s Day program

The International Association of Lions Clubs District 306 B-2 together with the Independent Television Network has organized a special event to mark International Children’s Day which falls today. One hundred children (50 of wounded soldiers and 50 from internally displaced families) will be entertained at Leisure Park, Kaluaggala, Avissawella, to mark the occasion.

Stop N shop

The Sri Lanka Cancer Society - Moratuwa Branch is organizing a fund - raiser entitled ‘Stop N Shop’ to collect much needed funds for its on-going activities in the prevention and control of Cancer. The fund-raiser will be held at 4, Mendis Avenue, Moratuwa, on Sunday, October 4 from 9.30 a.m. onwards. For more details contact Chitra Pieris on 2647391.

Public lecture

The Dharma Vijaya Foundation will conduct a public lecture on “Cancer Prevention and Lifestyle” by Consultant Clinical Oncologist, National Cancer Institute Maharagama Dr. Prasad Abeysinghe

The lecture will be held on Friday October 2 at 5 p.m. at the Dharmavijaya Auditorium 380/7 Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 07.

Mahatma Gandhi schols

The Indian Government has launched the Mahatma Gandhi Scholarship Scheme. Under this scheme, around 3-4 meritorious students at the O/Levels are selected and provided with a scholarship of Indian Rupees 1,500 per month for a period of two years.

Education Minister Susil Premajayanth will award the scholarships today.