Quick Look

Agrarian sales centres opened

Tennakoon KULASEKERA

Four sale centres were opened at four agrarian service centres in the Anuradhapura district by Agrarian services and Wild Life Minister S M Chandrasena to enable farmers to purchase all their raw material and other requirements under one roof.

These service centres are at Nochchiyagama, Talawa Kekirawa and Madatugama. Among the items on sale at these centres are subsidised fertilizer, carbonic manure, pesticides and weedicides, seed paddy, vegetable and other seeds, planting material and agricultural implements.

The Minister said arrangements have been made to open such sales centres in all the 55 agrarian service centres countrywide.

Porcupine slaughtered

S M Godamunne- Gampola Group corr

Nawalapitiya Police arrested two people while they were slaughtering a porcupine yesterday morning.

It is prohibited to kill porcupines or sell their meat by Wildlife laws. The two suspects were found skinning the porcupine weighing nearly 15 kgs at a house by Nawalapitiya-Thalawakele road.

The suspects were to be produced in the Nawalapitiya Magistrate's Court.

Infant's body found

Elahera group corr

A body of a new born infant girl was found on the Trikonamaduwa road, Welikanda by the Welikanda police yesterday morning. The police said the body which was inside a school bag wrapped in polythene has been sent to the Polonnaruwa hospital for an autopsy. Investigations are on to find the mother of the infant.

Floods cause drop in B'caloa school attendance

Batticaloa group corr

Attendance at many schools in the Batticaloa district have dropped sharply due to floods caused by the current heavy rains.

Several schools in the Batticaloa MC area are under several feet of water while some schools in Chenkaladi, Vavunativu, Arayampadi, Katankudy, Vakarai, Vellapilli and Eravur are also affected by floods.

Thieves disappear with Rs 80,000 chain

Amith PRABATH WANASINGHE

Two unidentified persons who came on a motorcycle had snatched a gold necklace worth Rs 80,000 from a woman who visited a shop in Thammanapura on Monday afternoon. Medawachchiya Police are investigating.

MPCS manager remanded

Anuradhapura Central special corr

A suspect who has served as the Manager of the Medawachchiya MPCS was arrested by the Kebethigollewa Police for alleged misappropriation of over Rs 2.3 m cash belonging to the MPCS. He was produced before the Medawachchiya Magistrate Chandima Edirimanna and remanded till January 18.

Suspects further remanded

Anuradhapura Central Special corr

The three LTTE suspects held in connection with the LTTE attack on the Anuradhapura Air Force Camp were further remanded till January 18 when they were produced before the Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate and Additional District Judge Miss Darshika Wimalasiri on Tuesday.

Appointed Vice Chancellor

Senior Professor, Kshanika Hirimburegama has been appointed as the Vice-Chancellor Colombo University Sri Lanka with effect from January 01, 2011 for a further term of three years by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Pirith

A Pirith Chanting and Almsgiving ceremony organized by the Seethavakapura Urban Council and Three-Wheel Drivers’ Association will be held on January 6 and 7 near the Awissawella bus stand.

Creative talents

The creative talents of the kids of the primary section of the Lumbini Vidyalaya, Colombo 5 will be presented on January 7. Chief Guest will be, the Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena.

Workshop

A workshop aimed at enhancing people’s creativity will be conducted today at 1 pm under the aegis of the US-SL Fulbright Commission, at the Commission building at 22, Flower Terrace (off Flower Road), Colombo 7.

Manas Mohideen needs ‘O’ positive kidney

Manas Mohideen (36) who works at Waters Edge Limited is in end-stage kidney failure.

Doctors recommend an urgent kidney transplant for his survival.

His blood group is ‘O’ positive and urgently needs a kidney of a person whose blood group is ‘O’ positive.

Manas is a father of two children so his family and Waters Edge colleagues appeal for general public’s help at this critical moment.

For information, please call 077-1391636 or Waters Edge 2863863.

Prof Kularatne awarded

Asela KURULUWANSA

Peradeniya University Medical Faculty Professor Specialist Physician Dr S A M Kularatne won the Health Science Sector Excellence Award.

Researches done by Dr Kularatne on epidemic diseases, dengue, serpent and insect venom for over 20 years have been considered for selection.

Dr Kularatne who had his early education at Ibbagamuwa Central College, entered the Peradeniya University Medical Faculty in 1978.

Grads to get jobs

Nihal JAYAWARDENA

A five year program to provide 10,000 jobs for unemployed graduates has been drawn up by the Mahaweli Development Authority centred on Mahaweli ‘B’ and ‘C’ zones, Director General C M C Dissanayake said.

Under the first stage, 5,000 unemployed graduates would be provided in dairy and ornamental fish projects in a land area in extent of 10,000 acres.

Rs 300 million will be spent for the first stage and steps would be taken to obtain foreign funding for the other four stages depending on the success of the first stage.

Heroin dealers nabbed

Siri Wawwage- Matara roving correspondent

Matara police arrested a woman, 44, and a youth, 22 in the Matara Copparawatta area alleged to have involved in the distribution of heroin in Matara and Hambantota districts.

They were remanded till January 14 on the orders of Matara Chief Magistrate Udeash Ranatunge.

Police also took into custody 5,440 mgs of heroin.

Kelaniya Duruthu Perahera

The Annual Kelaniya Duruthu Perahera will be held on January 16, 17 and 18.

The Perahera will commence with the handing over the relic casket to Chief Basnayake Nilame Dhammika Attygalle by Viharadhipathi, Professor Kollupitiye Mahinda Sangharakkita Nayake Thera. The Uda Maluwa Perahera will be on January 16. The perahera will be conducted around the Kelaniya on January 17 and 18.

 Pirith and Dana

A pirith ceremony will be held on January 7 night and a dana for 50 monks will be held on January 8 at the Irrigation Department premises to mark the 110th anniversary of the department.

Knowledge Symposium

Third year undergraduates of the Human Resources Management (HRM) Department of the Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Colombo will held a ‘Knowledge Symposium on Labour Relations’ and ‘Beyond the Horizon – A Workshop on Personality Development’ on January 11 and 12 from 9 am to 5 pm.

‘Knowledge Symposium on Labour Relations’ will be conducted for managers and executives of private and public sector organizations on January 11.

A Workshop on Personality Development’ will be conducted for undergraduates of national and private universities, on January 12.

Poly Clinic

The Sri Lanka Cancer Society at 37/25, Bullers Lane, Colombo 7 will hold the next Poly Clinic on January 9 from 8.30 am to 11.00 am to screen patients for early detection of all types of Cancer.

Clinical Breast examination and Pap Smears taking for screening for Cervical Cancers will also be done. The medical advice will also be provided.

Translator training workshop

Katha Organization Linguistic and Cultural Research and Services Centre will hold a translator trainers training residential workshop at SIDA centre, Hatton from January 6-14.

The program sponsored by the American Centre Youth Employment Grants Program will be conducted by resource persons drawn from the academic and professional services.

Timber racket busted

Bandula Gunasekara, Dhammika Welegoda and T K Ariyadasa, - Malimbada Group Corr

Two suspects who allegedly transported a large stock of timber valued Rs 200,000 without a permit in a lorry from Getamanna in Kirinda to Colombo were seized by Hakmana police recently.

The two suspects were to be produced before the Matara Magistrate courts with the stock of timber and the vehicle.

The suspects were the residents of Beliaththa area, Hakmana police said.

Students stung by hornets

Asela Kuruluwansa and Sanjaya Mathurata

Seventy three students studying at the Pilmathalawa Central College were admitted to Peradeniya and Gonawala hospitals, stung by hornets yesterday around 11.30 am.

The students were playing in the school ground. Pilimatalawa Central College Principal Jayasinghe Uggalle said hornets in the nest on the olive tree near the teachers quarters have stirred due to shouting of the students.

Hospital sources said two students are in critical condition.

Death of Prof Wijayanayake

The death occurred of University of Ruhuna Professor Emeritus Ranmuthu H Wijayanayake the first Professor of Chemistry, first Head of Department of Chemistry, first Dean of the Faculty of Science, former Director of Ruhuna University College on January 3, 2011.

He was a great teacher, a dedicated researcher and a successful administrator retired from university service in 2001.

In 1978 he joined the pioneering academic staff of the Ruhuna University College at its inception and served for 23 years.

He had to overcome many challenges in binging up the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Ruhuna University College to present status. His yeomen service to Faculty of Science cannot simply be measured by years he spent at Ruhuna.

Funeral will be held at 6 pm at Borella Cemetry today.