Sanjeewani Priyadharshini, a student of Ratnavali Balika Vidyala, Borella was on top of the world yesterday when she received the deed of a house for her family from Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa at a ceremony at the vidyalaya premises in the presence of staff and students. President Mahinda Rajapaksa who recognised the achievement’s of Sanjeewani, who excelled in her studies and obtained three ‘A’ s at the GCE AL 2012 Examination, instructed the minister to provide her with a house with all facilities. The President’s gesture was a message to all that the state values and recognises hard work and dedication whatever the condition one lives in . The house is valued at Rs 3.5 million. Picture by Saman Sri Wedage

LTTE LOBBY SWAMPS GENEVA

All three pro - LTTE factions have started lobbying ahead of the UNHCR sessions in Geneva in March, international terrorism expert Prof Dr Rohan Gunaratna told the Daily News yesterday. Prof Dr Gunaratna said the three factions are the Tamil Eelam People’s Assembly led by Perinpanayagam Sivaparan alias Nediyawan in Norway, the Global Tamil Forum led by Father S J Emmanuel in London and the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam led by V Rudrakumaran in New York.

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Launch of Phase III of ‘English as a Life Skill’ today

The third phase of the Presidential Initiative ‘English as a Life Skill’ through which the President takes English Language Skills across the country with a special focus on Spoken English, will be launched by the President from Temple Trees today.

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President orders:

Regulatory mechanism for int’l schools

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday ordered officials to bring all international schools operating in the country under a regulatory mechanism. He stressed that the younger generation should not be led astray.

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Steep drop in Lanka’s poverty index

Sri Lanka’s poverty index was 22.7 percent in 2002. Today it is only 8.9 percent. But on the other hand, under-weight child births have increased to 16 percent. Over 20 percent of schoolchildren suffer from malnutrition. This is the result of negative changes of lifestyle. However Divineguma will stop this, Divineguma National Programme Director Jayatilleke Herath said yesterday.

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Govt to make direct purchase of essential drugs

The government decided to sign a special MoU with Indian and Bangladeshi governments to procure essential drugs and overcome current shortages, Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena said. The minister said a dearth of drugs is frequently experienced as a result of improper practises by suppliers in the provision of drugs.

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