Quick Look

Death of veteran photographer

Veteran photographer Gunasiri Silva passed away yesterday morning after a brief illness. He was 76.

Gunasiri Silva began his photographic career at the Aththa newspaper and also served as a provincial photographer for the Lankadeepa newspaper.

He was the personal photographer to prominent political leaders including Dr N M Perera, Dr Colvin R de Silva and Bernard Soysa.

Silva was a still photographer for films such as Sakuntala, Hariyata Hari, Singapore Charlie and Kokila.

His remains will lie at No. 21B, Anagarika Dharmapala Mawatha, Hokandara Road, Thalawathugoda. The funeral will take place at the Hokandara Public Cemetery on March 9 at 4.00 pm.

Nanotech Phase II

A two-day meeting on ‘Nanotechnology on South Asia – Building capabilities and Governing the Technology (Nanotech Phase II)’, will be held at the National Science Foundationon on March 8 and 9.

Dance recital

The Indian Cultural Centre in Colombo is organizing a Kuchipudi Dance Recital by Nrutya Ratna Smt. Maddali Usha Gayatri (Hamsa Awardee) from India at 6.00 pm on Wednesday, March 9 at the ICC premises 16/2, Gregory’s Road (opposite Australian High Commission) Colombo 07.

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M M Deepa Kure, a disciple of Shastharapathi Achini Lanka, will be presenting a Kathak Dance Recital at the Indian Cultural Centre, 16/2, Gregory’s Road, Colombo 07. The performance will be at 6.00 pm on Friday, March 11.

Isipatana Prize Day

The annual prize giving and awards ceremony of Isipatana College, Colombo, will be held on March 10 from 2pm to 5pm at John De Silva Memorial Theatre.

The chief guest will be Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena.

Fish market construction completed

Ridma Dissanayake

Construction of the fish market complex at a cost of Rs 1,500 million at Peliyagoda has been completed and it will be opened on March 26 under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne said.

“Sri Lanka occupies a high position in the fishery industry and it is now using modern technology as well,” he noted. The Minister was addressing an agreement signing ceremony relating to vehicle control with the use of computer technology at the Peliyagoda Fish Market Complex. This is the first time that a program of this nature is undertaken in Sri Lanka, the Minister said.

The agreement was signed between the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister and Power Asia International (Pvt) Ltd.

Minister Senaratne noted that this system will control all stages from the time the vehicle entering the fish market through parking and till it leaving the complex.

Kalutara Bar Association office bearers

President: Bandula Parakrama Weerasinghe; Vice Presidents: Y S de Silva, Ravi Domingo and Susil Gunaratna; Secretary: Udeny Dayaratna; Assistant Secretary: Chitra Abeyratna; Treasurer: Ranjith Nawaratna; Assistant Treasurer: Niluka de Silva; Librarian: Asanka Paranagama.

Lions help MDG program

A city consultation was held on Saturday, February 26 in the Lions Activity Centre at Batticaloa, to inaugurate a program on Maternal Health and Infant Mortality to help achieve millennium development goals.

The program is being implemented with a donation of Rs 5.5 million to Sri Lanka from Lions Clubs International, the largest and most active service organization in the world with a membership of over 1.34 million in 205 countries.

The project will be implemented by the Lions Club of Batticaloa-306C2 and Lions Club of Colombo Orient - 306B2 in association with the Family Health Bureau, Director of Health Services Batticaloa and UNICEF regional office Batticaloa.

Dr Ayesha Lokubalasooriya, Consultant Community Physician, Family Health Bureau has recommended and agreed to support a Training of Trainer program to public health staff and teachers and thereafter reach out to the medical staff in the region and to the schools.

Fire near Peradeniya University

Suraj A Bandara

A fire broke out in the upper Hantana region in the vicinity of the Peradeniya University yesterday causing extensive destruction to around 10 acres of land.

No University property or students were affected due to the fire, hostel sub warden Anula Kariyawasam said.

Farmers profit from vegetables

P Rajaratnam in Nuwara Eliya

Vegetable cultivators and farmers have made heavy profits with the increased prices of vegetables during bad weather conditions which prevailed in the entire district and country as a whole.

They have got the highest prices for all varieties of vegetables ever been recorded in the recent past.

Golden Anniversary

The Royal College Colombo ‘61-Group will celebrate its golden anniversary this year.

A special assembly will be held among senior students with ‘61-Group members on March 08 at 8.30 a m.