Quick Look

Jaffna Bishop hails Defence Secretary,Navy

Jaffna Bishop Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Savundaranayagam hailed Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa in facilitating the annual Kachchathivu festival which was held on March 4.

The Bishop also praised the Sri Lanka Navy for the assistance provided.

He said that the Kachchathivu festival was celebrated in a big way with a large number of pilgrims attending the feast of St Anthony.

The Jaffna Bishop in his letter to the Defence Secretary said that the Sri Lanka Navy has been very helpful to the pilgrims. He said that members of the clergy and the pilgrims who came from India commended the services of the Sri Lanka Navy.

Illegal sand miners held

Sandasen MARASINGHE

The Police Special Task Force arrested nine persons who were mining sand illegally at Peraru area in the Panikkankulam forest reserve in Mankulam.

A group of police men in Mankulam STF camp seized nine tractors, nine trailers, sand loaded in the trailers and shovels along with the suspects.

Out of the nine tractors one tractor was unregistered while four of the trailers did not have number plates. The STF group led by Sub Inspector D D P N Deshapriya conducted the raid on Monday evening on information received by an intelligence unit of the Mankulam STF camp.

Presidential schols for students

Nimal WIJESINGHE

Nearly 800 students studying for the GCE Advanced Level examination in the North Central Province, have been granted with Presidential scholarships recently.

The scholarship awarding ceremony was held at the Anuradhapura Swarnapali National Girls’ School auditorium, with North Central Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake participating as the chief guest.

US envoy fetes SL coast guard

U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Patricia Butenis welcomed Sri Lankan Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Rohan Joseph to the Embassy yesterday to congratulate him on being the Honor Graduate for the International Maritime Officers Course (IMOC) at the U.S. Coast Guard Training Centre.

LCDR Joseph was selected out of 33 students from 25 countries for best exemplifying the core values of leadership, professionalism, integrity and diplomacy throughout his training from August 22 to December 1, 2011.

Police seize Margosa logs

Puttalam group corr

A stock of Margosa logs valued at nearly Rs 300,000 believed to have been illicitly felled from the Arachchikattuwa ‘Ramsa’ Bird Sanctuary, was seized by Chilaw Police from a sawmill in the area on Sunday. Police also arrested two suspects in this connection.

Investigations are continuing.

They need help

B G Nilmini Saroja, a mother of five of No. 44, Beddegama, Walgama, Matara, says that three of her children have been permanently disabled and were unable to walk or attend to their needs, due to an inherited disorder. Two of them were totally dependent on milk food, biscuits and samaposha, for their nutrition. Her husband is a mason with a meagre and irregular income, woefully inadequate to upkeep the family and care for the three disabled children. Financial assistance from philanthropists and the public would be most welcome to enable her family to make ends meet. Those wishing to assist them are requested to remit their contributions to Account Number 207-055952-3 at the People’s Bank, Weligama branch.

Appeal

H.G. Anil de Silva (51), a father of two of No. 94A, Dispensary Road, Weliweriya, has been totally disabled due to an injury to his spinal cord. Anil says he had earlier worked as a carpenter for 27 years, but now he has been restricted to a wheelchair and was undergoing treatment at the Ragama Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Hospital.

He says that his family receives Rs. 1,551 as Samurdhi assistance and Rs 400 as public assistance, which had been hardly sufficient for the upkeep of his family of four, including his wife and two school going children.

He says he would welcome assistance from philanthropists and the generous public to help his family make ends meet.

Any financial contributions could be remitted to Account Number 130020018331 of the Hatton National Bank, Weliweriya branch.
 

Lecture

The next lecture on the Book of Genesis will be delivered by Rev. Father Nilindra Gunasekera, Professor in Sacred Scripture at the National Seminary, Ampitiya on March 19, at 6.00 p.m. at the Colombo YMCA Forum Hall, 39 Bristol Street, Colombo 1.

AGM

The Past Pupils Association of Mahamaya College, Kandy will hold its 27th Annual General Meeting on March 18 at 9.30 a.m at the Sri Lanka Federation of University Women head office at No 96/25, Kithulwatta Road, off Elvitigala Mawatha, Colombo 8.

Please contact the following numbers for further details: Chapa – 2854562, Amitha – 2555177, Indrani – 2672689, Geetha – 2678334, Gayathri – 0777331554 and Slfuw – 2682961.

Book launch

Puravalar Puthaka Poonga has organised its 28th book launch to be held on March 18 at 4.30 pm at the Tamil Sangam auditorium, Wellawatte, under the patronage of founder Puthaka Poonga Hashim Omar.

Kinniya Ameer Ali's Manayarum Marupadippum will be launched at this ceremony.