Quick Look

Electricity piracy:

June fines top Rs 14.7 m

Shirley WIJESINGHE

Over Rs.14.77 million has been collected as court fines during raids conducted by Ceylon Electricity Board against the electricity pirates for June, Power and Energy Ministry sources said.

According to sources , the total collected revenue through the court fines are Rs.2.88 million from Batticaloa , Rs.4.19 million from Trincomalee, Rs.1.53 million from Kilinochchi and Rs.260,000 from other routine raids in the Vavunia, Embilipitiya, Matara, Divulapitiya and Ampara areas.

France assures development aid

French Ambassador to Sri Lanka Christine Robichon yesterday said no matter what the differences of opinion or views may be, France will continue to give development aid to Sri Lanka.

Robichon said this after signing the agreement for the Trincomalee Water Project with Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at the Water Supply Ministry.

The project costs Rs.1.8 billion. It is expected to solve water problems of over 300,000 people in Trincomalee. - CHW

New move to check pollution

The Central Environment Authority (CEA) has launched a special program to make the local industrial sector environmental friendly and to standardize the consultative services to control pollution, the Ministry in a release said.

A special workshop was held under the patronage of CEA Chairman Charitha Herath on Thursday to make the Heads of Laboratories and special consultative institutes aware of this program. Twenty two laboratories and 33 technical consultative institutes have been registered with the CEA and the Authority will make the industrial community aware of these services.

The authority has been maintaining this environment protection system since 1990 to control environmental pollution caused by industries.

Art teachers workshop in Jaffna

A special workshop to uplift the skills of Art Teachers in the Northern Province is being held from June 2 to 4 at Hindu College, Killinochchi by the Education Department. Education Ministry Aesthetic Branch Director Thushara Gunathilake said nearly 586 Art teachers in Tenmarachchi, Walikamam, Wadamarachchi Island, Killinochchi and Mullaithivu Educational zones in the Jaffna district are participating.

The aim is to minimize the Teacher shortage in the district and to provide promotional opportunities to Skilled Teachers while improving exam results of the Art subjects, the Director said.

Inter-school Shakespeare drama contest

The inter-school Shakespeare drama competition - 2010 organized by the Colombo YMCA and the Rotary Club of Colombo North will be held in September-October 2010.

The plays selected for this year's competition are: The Tempest, King Richard III, Merchant of Venice, King Henry IV Part 1, Comedy of Errors, Macbeth, Merry Wives of Windsor and King Lear.

Entries close on July 20, with the Organizing Secretary, Colombo YMCA, 39, Bristol Street, Colombo 1.

Crystal anniversary

The Moratuwa University's NDT batch of 90/91 will celebrate their 15th Crystal Anniversary on July 4 from 9.00 a.m. at Randiya Hotel Moratuwa.

Contact Saman on 071-4763019 or Damith on 0777-311223.

De Mazenod OBA fetes Harry Jayawardena

Sarath MALALASEKERA

The De Mazenod College Old Boys’ Association recently felicitated its distinguished old boys, specially Harry Jayawardena, for his great achievement of obtaining a Knighthood from Denmark.

Jayawardena is the founding Director and current Chairman and Managing Director of the Stassen Group of Companies, a widely diversified conglomerate that is engaged mainly in the export and import trade and Lanka Milk Foods (CWE) PLC.

He is the Honorary Consul for Denmark.

Principal and OBA President Rev Bro Bertram Perera delivered the welcome address.

Senior Attorney at Law P. Vernon Cooray, one of the Vice Presidents of the OBA Excise Commissioner General Wasantha Hapuarachchi and several Parliamentarians were among the distinguished Old Boys.

Teenage drug peddler nabbed

Anuradhapura Central Special Corr.

A teenage student arrested by Anuradhapura Police near the Anuradhapura new bus stand for peddling cigarettes mixed with a narcotic drug to young students was remanded till July 7 when he was produced before Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate Darhshika Wimal-asiri recently.

Police said they also seized seven cigarettes, two mobile phones and Rs 1,000 cash from the students procession at the time of arrest.

Indian Naval Chief Nirmal Verma’s wife Madurika Verma met First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa at Temple Trees, Tuesday. Here Mrs Verma greeted by two children. Picture by Udesh Gunarathna