Quick Look

'Gale' lash Anuradhapura

Sakuntala Jayasinghe and Hidogama group corr.

Gale Force winds that swept across Nachchaduwa on Monday afternoon damaged eight houses and several electricity transmission wires in the area.

Meterologist Preethika Jayakody attributed the weather condition to low atmospheric winds accompanying heavy torrential rains which lashed Anuradhapura on Monday damaging several houses.

The Regional Disaster Management Centre was assessing the damage caused to houses to pay compensation.

Gambling, liquor raids in Alawathugoda

Kandy North special corr

The Alawathugoda police arrested 14 suspects for alleged involvement in gambling and sale of illicit liquor and drugs during raids conducted on vice dens.

Rehabilitated LTTE deployed on gainful employment

Jaufer Khan, Batticaloa group corr.

A group of 250 former LTTE combatants rehabilitated at the Welikanda Rehabilitation camp received equipment and tools for starting self employment ventures at a ceremony held under the patronage of Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan yesterday.

Chief minister visits victims of explosion

Jaufer Khan, Batticaloa group corr.

Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan visited the homes of the Karadiyanaru explosion victims and condoled with their families on Sunday.

Alawwa Navodaya from Oct 13 to 17

A Keerthisinghe-Alawwa Special Corr.

The Alawwa Navodaya Educational and Commercial Exhibition will be held at Sri Rahula (Jathika) National School on October 13 to 17. Prime Minister D M Jayaratne will open the exhibition on the first day on October 13. Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa and Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena will open the exhibition on October 14 and 15.

Wayamba Udanaya in Pannala

The "Wayamba Udanaya" , Educational and Commercial Exhibition will be held at the Pannala National School from September 23 to 26.

The Exhibition is organized by the North Western Province Education Department.

Briefing for farmers

A Special program to brief farmers on compost fertilizer will be held on September 26 at 10 a.m.

Engine driver, guards reconnect disengaged engine

Nihal JAYAWARDENE

The train number 128 from Plogahawela to Kandy stalled near the Balana station briefly as its engine got disengaged from the compartments yesterday morning. The engine driver and the guards rose to the occasion by quickly reconnecting the engine to the severed compartments and the train re-started its journey to Kandy within a few minutes.

CAA raids Dambulla Economic Centre

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) raided the Dambulla Dedicated Economic Centre Monday night and detected 12 stalls flouting the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act.

Legal action has been instituted in the Dambulla Magistrate's Court against the owners of the stalls on charges ranging from selling underweight items, selling at exorbitant rates much above the nominal sale price and failure to display price lists, said a press release issued by the Coperatives and Internal Trade Ministry.

The release said Minister Johnston Fernando has made it compulsory for traders in Economic Centres to display price lists and conform to fair trade practices.

Karainagar AGA office upgraded

Jaffna Special Correspondent

The Karainagar AGA Office has been upgraded as a Pradeshiya Sabha in accordance with upgrading seven AGA Divisions in the North. Several Development schemes have to be undertaken in Karainagar and therefore the upgrading of AGA office has become urgent.

National Productivity Awards

The National Productivity Awards ceremony 2010 organized by the National Productivity Secretariat will be held at the BMICH, Colombo on September 29 at 2pm. Prime Minister D M Jayaratne will be the chief guest. Labour Relations and Productivity Promotion Minister Gamini Lokuge and Deputy Minister Jagath Balasuriya will also be present.

Diploma course

A Cinematography Diploma Course for the 2010-2011 batch will begin at National Film Corporation, Colombo 7 at 10 a.m. on September 25 under the patronage of Mass Media and Information Minister Dr Keheliya Rambukwella and Ministry Secretary W B Ganegala. Awarding certificates to students who completed the 2007/2008 Cinematography Diploma and Certificate Course will also take place on the same day, states a press release issued by the National Film Corporation.

Distribution of dry rations

A distribution of dry food rations among low income group families organized by the Colombo Lions Club will be held at the Bauddha Madyasthanaya at Sirimavo Bandaranaike Mawatha, Colombo 14 on September 25 at 9am, said President of the Club Srimal Gallage.

Research seminar

The Hindu Religious and Cultural Affairs Department in collaboration with the Buddhasasana and Religious Affairs Ministry will hold a Research Seminar on "The period of ethical literature and cultural traditions of Tamil society" from September 22 to September 25 commencing at 9am at the Colombo Tamil Sangam Hall, Wellawatte, Colombo 6. Professor S Pathmanathan will preside.

Members Day

Kumpulan Malayu Battaramulla (Battaramulla Malay Association) will hold its 10th anniversary celebrations with an entertaining 'Hari Kumpulan 2010' Members Day on Sunday, September 26 at the Buddhadasa Stadium, Pelawatte, Battaramulla. The days celebrations will commence at 8.30 a.m.

More demined lands for paddy cultivation

Jaffna special correspondent

Five thousand ha of land will be sowed with paddy in the demined areas at Ariyalai, Maravanpulo, Nunavil Ushan on September 23. The Department of Agrarian Services will bring 16,000 hectares of land in Thenmaradchy under paddy cultivation.

Police nab suspects fleeing with cash

Sandasen MARASINGHE

Moratuwa Police arrested two suspects fleeing after stealing Rs 232,000 by threatening a man in Panadura South Monday evening.

The suspects stole the money threatening the man with a pistol. The man was taking the money in his van to deposit in a bank in Panadura.

According to the Police, the two suspects in a motorcycle stopped the van at Jubilee Lane in Panadura South. The men had fled after taking the money. The owner had chased the motorcycle. He had caught them near the Moratuwa railway station. Moratuwa Police arrested the suspects. The Police seized the stolen money. Police also found two revolvers, five bullets and live hand grenade from the suspect's possession. Police also seized the motorcycle used by the suspects.

The suspects were identified as residents of Pallebedde area. Moratuwa Police are investigating.

Police trailing errant hotelier

Indika Polkotuwa

Kandy Police Special Crime Unit is in search of a leading hotel owner in Kandy who has cheated about Rs two million from a wife of a seaman who has worked in several ships for a long period. Police investigations revealed that the hotelier had fraudulently withdrawn money from the accounts maintained by her in several banks and financial institutes.

Kandy Police is conducting investigations.

Ten timber stores

Ananda Pathiraja - S T D Senaratne

The State Timber Corporation is to construct ten timber stores in Nallur, Minneriya, Kumbukkana in Monaragla, Dela and Timbol Ketiya in Ratnapura, Talalla in Matara, Kankaniyamulla in Kurunegala and Nikaveratiya.

Ranjan Ramanayake evades police

Asela KURULUWANSA

Ranjan Ramanayake, actor and UNP MP who had taken one million from a teacher promising to marry her did not come to Kandy police station yesterday. The Kandy Police Special Crime Investigation Unit had informed him to come to the police station to record a statement regarding the complaint made by the teacher.

Ranjan Ramanayake had sent the police a letter through his lawyer explaining the reason that he cannot come due to some inevitable reasons. He had promised the police that he would be present on September 25. The teacher who made the complaint had forwarded some bank receipts used to send the money to Ranjan Ramanayake's account.

Kandy police conducts the investigation under the direction of Central Province DIG Gamini Nawaratna and DIG Pujith Jayasundera.

PMB takes back another leased building

The Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) yesterday acquired another building which was leased to a UNP supporter during the UNP regime. This building situated in Louis Peiris Kandy had been leased to a hotelier.

Cooperatives and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando told the Daily News that he would not hesitate to acquire other PMB buildings leased out to political henchmen.

Anti-rabies campaign

Priyan de Silva-Matara Daily News correspondent

An anti-rabies vaccination and sterilization campaign was held at the Devinuwara Pradeshiya Sabha premises recently. Veterinary surgeon Pubudu Nuwan Samaraweera said the country has a stray cannine population of 2.5 million and it was envisaged to sterilize at least a million within five years. About 450,000 have been sterilized in the past two and half years.

New advisor

Retired Senior Superintendent of Police and Director Medical Services M.K.D.G. Meegoda has been appointed as an Advisor to the Livestock and Rural Community Development Ministry.

Training workshop

Geeth de Mel

A training workshop for electricians on accurate home and industrial electric circuit processing was held recently at "Casarole hotel Anuradhapura by Kelani Cable (Pvt.) Ltd. Kelani Cable Brand promotion manager Channa Jayasinghe said 201 electricians participated in the workshop.

Kelani Cables "Kelani Visura Society" members could participate in these workshop free.

Discussion on NGOs

UNDP resident representative Neil Buhne and UN Humanitarian coordinator Barbara Manzi had a discussion at the MCNS on NGOs, said a press release issued yesterday evening by the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) Director General Lakshman Hulugalle.

Farmers angry over alleged land sale

Tennakoon Kulasekara and Sampath Sanjeewa

Farmers in Maha Vilachchiya Anuradhapura are up-in arms against the alleged partition and sale of the land adjoining the Paddy Marketing Board Stores Complex at Maha Vilachchiya by a UNP supporter in Colombo who obtained the stores complex and the land on lease during the previous UNP regime.

Farmers who say that this land is being partitioned and sold following the decisions of the Trade Ministry to acquire and re-open all farmer PMB stores complexes urge the authorities to intervene and halt this destruction and rape of state assets by fraudulent people.