Sri Lanka News | Online edition of Daily News

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday opened the Pinbara Lanka exhibition at the National Museum where a number of priceless artifacts, including the ashes of King Dutugemunu, were on display. Picture shows the President paying his respects to the casket bearing the ashes of King Dutugemunu. Ministers Susil Premajayantha, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, A.H.M. Fowzie, Jagath Balasuriya and Director General of the Archaeological Department, Senerath Dissanayake were also present. Picture by Sumanachandra Ariyawansa

President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited the Sri Buddha Rashmi Vesak Zone organised for the second day by the Presidential Secretariat in association with the Hunupitiya Gangarama Viharaya to mark the 2600th Sambuddhathva Jayanthi. Picture shows the President with Chief Incumbent of Hunupitiya Gangaramaya Temple Galaboda Gananissara Thera. Ministers Bandula Gunawardena, Geethanjana Gunawardena, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Western Provincial Council Chief Minister Prasanna Ranathunga and Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga were also present. Picture by: Susantha Wijegunasekara

External Affairs Minister Prof G L Peiris visited India from May 15 to 17. During his visit, the minister called on Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister Pranab Mukerjee, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, and National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon. Foreign Secetary Nirupama Rao called on the visiting dignitary. Here Prof Peiris during discussions with Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

The second day of the Amadhahara Vesak Zone organised by the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd for the 21st consecutive year in association with Sri Lanka Telecom was opened by Western Province Chief Minister Prasanna Ranathunga. ANCL Director Editorial Seelarathne Senerath, Company Secretary Kumudu Gunawardena and Head of Co-operate Relations Waruna Mallawarachchi are also in the picture. Picture by Mahinda Withanachchi

The United Nations Vesak celebrations were held from May 12 to 14 in Bangkok and Ayodya, Thailand. Picture shows Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena who participated in the celebrations meeting Neighbouring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency Chairman Aksiri Buranarasi. The Sri Lankan Ambassador in Thailand Prof J B Dissanayake was also present.

The Nagarasabha Vesak Zone organised for the second day by the Colombo Municipal Council in association with the Jathika Silpa Sabha to mark the 2600th Sambuddhatva Jayanthi was opened by several politicians and government officials. Here, Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Deputy Minister Weerakumara Dissanayake, Colombo District Parliamentarian Thilanga Sumathipala, Chairman of Silpa Sabha Buddhi Keerthisena, CMC Commissioner Badrani Jayawardena and Chief City Administrator Omar Kamil participating in the traditional oil lamp lighting ceremony. Picture by Nissanka Wijeratne

Lankan nabbed in India

A 30-year-old Sri Lankan bound for Paris was detained by the immigration officials at the Cochin International Airport, India on Monday.

Officials said Jeevadas of Jaffna was detained while attempting to board an Oman Air flight to Muscat, with a passport in the name of one Thevari Muthu Peter of Tiruchi. Officials examined his travel documents and found them fake. Jeevadas confessed to obtaining the travel documents from a passport agent in Tamil Nadu. Primary investigations revealed he had come to Kochi from Tiruchi on Tuesday morning and was seen off at the airport by two persons.

The Hindu

B’caloa families take to home gardening

A total of 34,500 families in the Batticaloa district have launched home gardening projects under the one million home gardening programme implemented under the Mahinda Chinthanaya concept.

A special conference in this regard was held at the Batticaloa district secretariat under the chairmanship of district secretary Sunadaram Arumainayugam.

Families selected under the programme will be provided Rs. 10,000 in addition to seeds for cultivation.

Electricity for over 500 families

The Ceylon Electricity Board on the instructions of the Power and Energy Ministry has drawn up a plan to provide electricity facilities for over 500 families in Wahacotte area in the Matale district.

The construction of the project is in progress and is expected to be completed within the next month.

Rs 15 million has been estimated for this project which is to be funded by the Iranian government.

Resettlement of families

Government Agent Imelda Sukumar said that almost 874 families would be resettled in the Vadamarachchi East Divisional Secretariat by the end of this month.

About 1,461 persons from 343 families, 1,213 from 319 families and 908 people from 212 families would be resettled in the Mulliyan, Pokaruppu and Vettrilaikeni areas.

Speaking to the Daily News, the GA said that Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe had given her permission to resettle those families and they would be resettled with the help of Army personnel.

Man knocked down and killed

The Horowpathana Police said that a person from Horowpathana had been knocked down by a bus on the Horowpathana-Kapugollewa road and had succumbed to his injuries after admission to the Horowpathana hospital on May 16.

The victim, a man of about 55 years of age, had been walking along the road at the time of the accident. The driver of the bus had been taken into police custody.

OIC Horowpathana Police, Inspector E.M. Sanjiva and a team of police officers are conducting further investigations.

Water cut

An 18-hour interruption to the water supply in the following areas will be operating from 8.00 pm on May 20 to 2.00 pm on May 21.

The areas to be affected are Moragasmulle, Obeysekerapura, Bandaranayakepura, Rajagiriya, Koswatte, Navala area upto the Open University and on by-roads.

Appeal for outlet

Residents complain that there is no Sathosa retail outlet at the Ginigathena town of the Ambagamuwa Pradeshiya Sabha in the Nuwara Eliya district.

As only a private trade monopoly prevails in the town its residents are compelled to purchase items at exhobitant rates.

Residents urge the Co-operative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) to take steps to open a Sathosa retail outlet in the Ginigathena town.

Tours around Colombo City

The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau has planned to hold six tours during the Vesak Week covering Vesak zones and decorations in Colombo for the convenience of local and foreign tourists. This is being held to coincide with the 2600th Sambuddhatva Jayanthi. These tours will commence from Mount Lavinia Hotel and the Galle Face Hotel. The duration of each tour will be three and half hours.

Dhamma sermon

A Dhamma sermon has been organized for today (19) at 9 am at the premises of the Petroleum Industries Ministry to mark the 2600th Sambuddhatva Jayanthi. Ven Prof Bellanvila Wimalaratana Nayaka Thera, Chancellor of the Sri Jayewardenepura University will deliver the Dhamma sermon.

Lorries examined

The Wayamba Environment Authority examined 362 lorries transporting sand through the North Western Province as a recent survey conducted by them revealed that over 70 percent of lorries are not roadworthy.

The drivers were instructed to take immediate action to rectify the defects in their vehicles.

According to Wayamba Environment Authority Director Saman Senanayake, most of the lorries have been in road accidents.

Dhamma desana

A special dhamma desana was delivered by Dakshina Lanka Adhikarana Sangha Nayaka Ven Habarakada Indaratana Thera, at Hiniduma Sasanodayarama Viharaya and Habarakada Vidyananda Pirivena on May 17, to mark the 2600th Sambuddhatva Jayanthi.

Community centre needed

Residents complain that there is no community centre at Wewelthalawa, a remote village situated in the Ambagamuwa (Ginigathena) Divisional Secretariat Division in the Nuwara Eliya district. As a result villagers are greatly inconvenienced in carrying out their community development activities.

Death of Daily News staffer’s father-in-law

Santy Jayawickrema, 77, a social worker of Kamburupitiya, Matara has passed away. He is the father of seven and father-in-law of Indika Edirisinghe of the Daily News Editorial. Cremation takes place today, Thursday.