JAFFNA round-up

Naga Vihara Perahera

The annual peraheras of Jaffna Naga Vihara will take place today and tomorrow.

A new Buddha statue will be consecrated today. The procession will begin at 7 a.m. And Pirith will be chanted thereafter.

A special pooja will be held Friday between 9 a.m. and 11.30 a.m. A dhana will follow.

Report on land encroachment

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda to visit Navatkuly where some people have allegedly encroached lands and to submit a report to him. Minister Devananda has visited Navatkuly and had discussions with the alleged trespassers.

 Jaffna army joins tree planting

Jaffna District Commander Maj. Gen. Mahinda Hathurusinghe inaugurated a tree planting ceremony at the Palaly Army headquarters to mark the Mahinda Rajapaksa's second swearing in as the President.

Three hundred coconut saplings were planted by the Army personnel around the Army headquarters. The Army also planted coconut saplings and fruit trees along the A9 highway to a distance of twenty kilometres from Elephant Pass to Eluthumadduval.

An Army media spokesman said the Army had planted 50,000 fruit bearing trees, coconut and palmyrah saplings.

Child chocked

A panadol pill given to a three-year child of Moolai Pillayarkovilady chocked in the throat of the child causing breathing difficulty and died on admission to the Moslai hospital.