Free books, equipment for flood-hit children

Tennakoon Kulasekera

North Central Province Chief Minister S M Ranjith Samarakoon promised to donate free school text books and educational equipment to students who lost their newly received books and equipment in the floods precipitated by the overflowing of the Malwathu Oya in Anuradhapura.

The Chief Minister gave this assurance when he visited Sarananda Pirivena and Mahinda Vidyalaya relief camps housing nearly 1,200 displaced families on an inspection tour recently.

Several children the Chief Minister spoke to, complained that they were without books and school equipment as those received by them for the New Year, had been lost in the floods.

The Chief Minister said people's representatives, farmer organisations, Principals and parents should notify the Provincial Council about the number of children needing new books and equipment so that arrangements could be made to provide them soon.

Meanwhile, Samarakoon requested irrigation officials to ensure that every drop of water collected in the irrigation reservoirs up to the brim area, is used for agriculture properly without allowing the water to go waste.