Jaffna Round - UP

Obscenity puts him in trouble

The Kilinochchi District Judge has fined a youth from Pooneryn for sending obscene photographs through his mobile phone. He was in addition sentenced to six months rigorous imprisonment suspended for six months. The accused pleaded guilty.

CACM celebrates 200th anniversary

The Church of American Ceylon Mission celebrated the 200th anniversary of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Ministry (ABCFM) at Manipay on November 6. A souvenir titled “Milestones of CACM” was released.

The educational literary and medical assistance heaped on our country by the American missionaries 200 years ago are evidences of the great sacrifices of the missionaries.

More than a thousand local and foreign delegates participated in the anniversary celebrations inspite of rain.

Lankan killed in crash

A Sri Lankan was killed along with three others from Turkey in a car accident in Germany at Woodenburg. The Sri Lankan was identified as Ariyaratnam (53). He was travelling in a racing car with his friends when his car overtook a heavy vehicle and collided with another vehicle.

Army opens Advice Centre in EP

The army has opened and Advice/Consultation centre at Elephant Pass to instruct the tourists visiting Jaffna. The tourists are being advised to have cordial interaction with the people they meet and speak to them softly to win their hearts.

This advice center was opened on November 5. The visitors were advised on behaving at religious places, dress codes when visiting Hindu kovils, alcohol consumption on the road sides and while going to the temples and littering holy places. Brochures were also issued on dos and donts when visiting Jaffna.

Compensation or alternative lands

Resettlement Minister Milroy Fernando said steps are being taken to pay compensation or alternative lands for those who cannot be given back their lands in the High Security Zone. The Minister said steps are being taken to give back the lands in High Security Zones, but there are certain lands that cannot be given back for security reasons.

Referring to the Sinhalese families living at the Jaffna Railway Station, he said their problems are being looked into. “We have to analyse on what basis they were settled in Jaffna. I have called for a report from the Jaffna Government Agent. “After the Government Agent’s report is received I will have consultation with Minister Douglas Devananda and finally with the President to reach a decision,” he said.

Fifteen miles to bank

The Oddusuddan residents are inconvenienced without a bank to transact their business. There are 27 Grama Nilaharis Divisions here. The people are now going to Mankulam or Mullaithivu for banking purposes and are forced to travel nearly 15 miles to reach a bank.

Water purifying centres for Jaffna

Two giant water purifying centres will be installed in Jaffna to provide pure drinking water to Jaffna peninsula. This will be part of the Iranamadu pipe-borne water scheme. The water purifying centres are to be installed at Paranthan and Kilinochchi with Japanese technical assistance. As the purifying centres are to be located between Paranthan and Kilinochchi the water brought from Iranamadu tank will be doubly purified and taken to Jaffna through pipes. This water scheme is to be implemented at a cost of Rs 2.5 m. This scheme is funded by the World Bank and the Government.

Injured motorcyclist dies on way to Colombo

A fatally injured motorcyclist died in the ambulance while he was being transferred to Colombo National hospital for emergency treatment.

Karalasingham Varathan (35) of Neervely was injured in a head-on collision with a van and was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit of the Jaffna teaching hospital.

Dispute puts OPD close for patients

The medical officers of Moolai Cooperative hospital have stopped working at the hospital’s OPD over dispute between a doctor and a member of the hospital Board. The member of the executive board is alleged to have threatened the doctor.

Due to this the hospital’s OPD was closed from last Monday compelling the patients to travel either to Chankanai or Karainagar government hospitals. These two places are about five miles apart.

The doctors want the Executive Board of the hospital to prevent the said member from entering the hospital.