Douglas donates bicycles to resettled Muslim families

Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda participated in a ceremony at Periyamuhandeen Jumma Mosque in Manipay Street, Jaffna to donate 50 bicycles to schoolchildren of resettled Muslims in Jaffna and low income earning self-employed families.

He said the bicycles were donated on a request by those who participated at a meeting at Usmaniya Collage.

Devananda said he donated 50 bicycles to Muslim students and 1,000 zinc sheets among resettled Muslims at the meeting he participated at Usmaniya College.

The minister said the cost was borne by the Northern Provincial Council on a request made by him from Northern Province Governor Major General G A Chandrasiri.

Devananda said steps would be taken to sort-out the problems faced by resettled Muslims.

Municipal Council people's representative M Sharafdeen thanked the minister and the Governor for their interest shown regarding their affairs

Meanwhile, Minister Devananda opened the fully restored clock tower in Jaffna city at a cost of Rs 3.4 million.

Addressing media personnel at a ceremony held to mark the event, the minister said clock towers were important landmarks to cities.

“Erecting an attractively designed clock tower not only added beauty to a city but also compelled the people to get used to working according to a pre-determined time,” he said.

The minister said the Big Ben Clock Tower in London and Astronomical Clock or Orloj in Prague added both beauty and an archaic touch to the respective cities, in addition to compelling people to work according to set times.

He said similarly, the clock tower that he opened had a lot of history and would add beauty to the Jaffna city as well.

Governor G A Chandrasiri, Jaffna Mayor Yogeshwari Pathkunaraja, Northern Provincial Council Chief Secretary Vijayalakshmi Ramesh and other officials also participated.