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RDB goes to Batticaloa

Ishara Mudugamuwa

The 252nd Regional Development Bank branch was opened by Resettlement Deputy Minister Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan in Chenkalladi, Batticaloa recently, a ministry official said.

Among those who participated in the ceremony were Regional Development Bank Chairperson Janaki Kuruppu, General Manager Rathnasiri Siriwardane and Batticaloa Regional Manager K. Chandam.

“This will help residents to get loans for self-employment and the agriculture and fisheries industry,” the official said.

He said that the Regional Development Bank has introduced a special low interest loan facility to reduce poverty. “About 2,111 bank accounts were opened on the first day. This is a record in the Regional Development Bank’s history. This is proof for people’s trust in government banking,” the official said.

The Regional Development Bank provides short and long-term loans on low interest rate.

Minister heads Sri Lanka–USA Parliamentary Friendship Assn

Environment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa was appointed Chairman of the Sri Lanka-USA Parliamentary Friendship Association at the annual general meeting held in Parliament. UNP MP Sajith Premadasa, DNA MP Sunil Handunnetti and UPFA MP Sri Ranga have been appointed as vice chairmen.

The secretary to the association is UPFA MP Vasantha Senanayake and vice secretary is UPFA MP Thilanga Sumathipala. Urban Affairs Senior Minister A H M Fowzie is the treasurer. The Executive Committee comprises 32 members and Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa, Prime Minister D M Jayaratne, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and USA Ambassador to Sri Lanka Patricia Butenis are consultants of the Association.

Elephant goes berserk at perahera

M D Mahindasiri - Dewahuwa Correspondent

An elephant had run amok in the Annual Perahera in Galewela Historical Bambawa Raja Maha Viharaya on Saturday mid night at the Kala Wewa junction in Galewela. At the time there was a huge crowd and they too have panicked and started running here and there. The elephant was brought under control after two hours by a group of mahouts.

Nearly 12,000 treated for hydrophobia in Jaffna

Jaffna special corr.

Twelve thousand people have been treated for hydrophobia at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital from January to July this year, said K. Varnanathan of the Anti-Rabies Clinic, Jaffna. He said stray dogs are being administered anti-rabies injections and are also sterilised in regional health centres.