Quick Look

Teacher shortage in Kinniya

M I M Azhar - Maligaikadu group corr

There are 254 teacher vacancies in the Kinniya education zone. Maths, Science and English have vacancies along with subjects including Art, Sinhala, History and Information Technology.

Around 204 teachers are needed to fulfill the scarcity of teachers in the Kinniya Education Zone, sources said.

English certificate programme

M I M Azhar - Maligaikadu group corr

An English professional development certificate programme has been launched under the Education Ministry’s scholarship scheme sponsored by the Asian Development Bank.

This is a three month residential training programme which will be conducted at the National College of Education, Peradeniya during week days.

Principals and teachers have been included to this programme and they must be under 52 years, said Education Ministry Secretary H M Gunasekara.

Batticaloa development project on target

M I M Azhar - Maligaikadu group corr

A development project has been completed in the Batticaloa district at a cost of Rs. 21.6 billion under the NECDEP scheme.

This project was started in 2005 and completed last February, according to Assistant Director S Samithambi. The second stage of this project will be started in the North soon, he said.

Coconut sapling distribution

The Coconut Cultivation Board (CCB) has launched a coconut saplings distribution programme in the coastal areas of the Eastern Province.

Coconut cultivation was affected in these areas as a result of the tsunami and recent floods.

The CCB has provided coconut saplings among affected villagers to increase coconut cultivation under the Eastern Development Scheme.

Meanwhile, the board has announced the granting of fertilizer for t hose who cultivate coconut in over half an acre of land.

PMB expands paddy purchasing to North

Nimal Wijesinghe Anuradhapura Additional District group corr.

The Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) has expanded its paddy purchasing network up to Mannar and Kilinochchi.

Anuradhapura zonal manager R. W. Bandula Kumara told the Daily News that the PMB has so far purchased around 3,000 metric tons of paddy at Mankulam Thunukkai Ettankaddhu, and Kilinochchi in the Kilinochchi district and at Alkadaweli stores in Mannar.

He said the target was to buy another 2,000 metric tons from the area.

“We hope to buy 50,000 metric tons or more during the forthcoming Yala harvesting season. The PMB has 20,000 metric tons of paddy in its Anuradhapura store complexes bought in previous seasons, which we are processing to be issued to the market through the CWE,” Kumara said.

Three die in mobike-van crash

Asela Kuruluwansa

Three persons travelling on a motor-cycle died when the motor-cycle collided with a van at about 4 pm on April 23 at Ilukmodara, Thannakumbura in Kandy.

The three were identified as Lakshman Kumara Herath, Weerakone Banda and Shantha Siriwardena.

Woman nabbed with heroin

Kadawata police arrested a woman suspected of possessing over three grams of heroin. The suspect was due to be produced before the Gampaha Magistrate yesterday. The Kadawata police are investigating.

Fire guts seven shops

Raja Waidyasekera - Tissamaharama special corr

Seven shops in Tissamaharama town were gutted in a fire that broke out early Sunday.

Residents, Tissamaharama police and the Air Force doused the fire.

Avurudu in B’caloa prison

Batticaloa Group

A new year festival was held in the Batticaloa prison attended by Prisons Superintendent Kithsiri Bandara.

Various sports events were held for prison inmates both male and female. The new year festival was held with the participation of almost all prison inmates.

Ministry yet to open closed schools

Batticaloa group

About 111 government schools closed during the thirty years of war in the Eastern Province are yet to be opened by the Education Ministry.

There are 171 schools reopened during the past five years which are now promoted to higher levels.

More Vets to Wildlife Department

Tennekone Kulasekera and Amila Prabhath Wanasinghe

Agrarian Services and Wildlife Minister S. M. Chandrasena said on April 23 at a media conference in Anuradhapura that the Wildlife Department had decided to recruit twenty five more Veterinary Surgeons to treat to injured elephants due to human activities.

He said there were only 26 such Veterinary Surgeons in the Department and due to the death of such surgeons a large number of elephants who receive injuries due to human activities are facing death. The Minister said that the Government will provide all facilities to Veterinary Surgeons to get a better service.

Easterners reject moon report

Jaufer Khan Batticaloa group corr

Scholars, politicians and religious dignitaries in the East completely reject UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon’s report against Sri Lanka. They say that this report has been issued in consultation pressure with LTTE backers.

Batticaloa Municipal Councillor K. Arumailingam, Kanthankudy Jamitiyatul Ulema and former secretary Moulavi S. M. M. Mustapa have announced their opposition to this report.

They say the Eastern population bitterly reject this move by the UNSG to discredit President Mahinda Rajapaksa who defeated the terrorists and ensured peace in the country.

Bank branch opening

The Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC opens its 197th branch at Akkaraipattu today at 9.37 am. It is located at a convenient place at the Sathosa Square on the Akkaraipattu-Kalmunai Main Trunk road. The Commercial Bank’s Chief Executive Officer and Director Ravi Dias will open the Branch at the auspicious time where Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister A.L.M. Athaullah and Akkaraipattu Municipal Council Mayor Athaullah Ahamed Zackie will participate.

RASSL lecture

The Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka (RASSL) Lecture – Digitally Recreating Ancient Anuradhapura – a case study of Jethavanaramaya will be held at the Gamini Dissanayake Auditorium at No. 96, Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Colombo 7 on April 25 at 5.00 p.m.

The lecture will be delivered by Prasad Samarajiva, Chandima Ambanvala and Anuradha Piyadasa.

Father of three drowns

S M Faraz Welimada Special corr

A father of three who has been missing is suspected to have drowned in the Uma Oya, Uva Paranagama police said.

The missing person was identified as Ariyadasa (50), a resident of Yalagamuwa in the Uva Paranagama area and he was suspected to have drowned in Uma Oya while crossing the oya from the Hali Ela, Gala Uda area.

There had been three others accompaining the missing man. They were crossing Uma Oya on April 20 but they had saved their lives. The police are investigating.