Quick Look

President Mahinda Rajapaksa after attending to religious ceremonies at the Ruwanmeliseya on Thursday. Picture by Nalin Hewapathirana

Subsidy for indigenous doctors

Priyanka KURUGALA

Under the Hela Weda Gedara program the Indigenous Medicine Ministry will provide Rs 1.2 million as a subsidy to suitable indigenous doctors to build a small hospital, in their home gardens, a Ministry source told Daily News.

The doctors have been selected from various parts of the country.

Work on 52 small hospitals have been started. Twenty four have been completed.

Five small hospitals will be constructed in Jaffna, for Siddhayurveda medicine.

According to the Ministry a small hospital consists of two wards with 10 beds, for men and women. One store room, clinic room and toilets are also included in the plan.

Jak planting to mark New Year

The Agriculture Ministry in collaboration with farmers' societies in the Kurunegala District will plant one million jak plants to celebrate the New Year in April.

Jak plants will be planted in home gardens on April 14.

Kurunegala District Agriculture Development Officer R.M. Keerthisena said jak plants would be provided to householders free and a bag of compost manure too would be supplied by the Agrarian Services Centres.Rs 1.2 million has been allocated by the NWPC for this.

Avurudu at Liberty Plaza

The inauguration ceremony of the Liberty Plaza Avurudu Sangrahaya 2010 took place on Thursday at the main lobby with the participation of Chairman and the Council Members of the Liberty Plaza Management Corporation with the arrival of Soorya Divya Rajaya (Sun God) accompanied by Divya Anganawo (Goddesses).

The Sinhala and Hindu New Year celebration at Liberty Plaza will take place until April 14 with extended shopping hours from 10.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m.

Ambulances for Northern hospitals

The Northern Provincial Health Services and Indigenous Medicine Ministry provided 12 Ambulances at a total cost of Rs. 58.8 Mn for the reactivated hospitals in the resettlement areas in the Northern Province.

The ambulances were handed over to the Regional Directors of Health Services by Northern Province Governor G.A. Chandrasiri at the Northern Provincial Council complex in Trincomalee on March 30.

Road projects completed

The Central Provincial Road Development and Construction Ministry has completed 117 road development projects in 31 divisional secretariat divisions.

Farmers to grow alternative crops

Ishara MUDUGAMUWA

Mahaweli system H farmers have been asked by the resident management to grow alternative crops like chillies to increase their income as paddy cultivation does not bring them sufficient earnings.

They have been asked to cultivate chillies in 2,000 hectares. The system H resident management will provide seeds, fertilizer and other agronomy products at a relief cost.

In addition farmers will also be encouraged to cultivate undu, green gram, Me and kurakkan at a commercial level. They already cultivate papaw and some citrus fruits in the area.

Mahaweli system H Resident Manager’s office has taken steps to provide facilities for farmers and make them aware about these crops.

‘No imminent landslides’

Priyanka KURUGALA

The National Building Research Organization and Meteorology Department do not expect any landslides during the current rainy period. However they are keeping an eye at the changing conditions and hope to alert the public if there is any risk due to landslides, said National Building Research Organization Landslides Study and Service branch Director R. M. S Bandara.

Inter-monsoon rains have begun after the long dry weather season. The rain pattern of the country has changed.

There is much more rainfall in a day, than in the past. People, living in landslide prone areas must be vigilant, he said.

Ayurvedic nursing service

The Indigenous Medicine Ministry has started a nursing service under Ayurvedic medical methods, said a Ministry source.

They have recruited the first batch of nurses. The next batch will be recruited in the near future.

New Ayurvedic nurses are given the same salary scale and all facilities given to nurses with western medicine by the Government, said the source. There are about 300 vacancies for Ayurvedic nurses. They are selected from applications and they should also have passed the Advanced Level with science subjects.

New trainee nurses are undergoing training at the Bandaranaike Memorial Ayurvedic Research Institute, the source said.

Deadly fall into pond

Indika POLKOTUWA

A grade four student of an International school in Gampola died Thursday following injuries sustained after falling into an unprotected pond in the school. The child who had been playing at the school, had fallen into the pond and struck against iron bars inside it.

Cultural Human Dynamo -Sridhar Pichchaiappa

Indomitable Sridhar Pichchaiappa passed away last month and a commemorative function in his memory is scheduled at 4.30 p.m. tomorrow, Sunday April 4 at the Ilankai Visvakarma Sangam at 168, Sri Kathiresan Street, Colombo 13.

Multi-faceted Sridhar died young but rich in experience in the arts - both performing and Visual.

He was an actor on stage, radio and television, a painter and artist whose excellent drawings have adorned both covers and magazines, an electronic presenter of music and spoken world radio and television programs and a composer, lyricist and singer. All in one human dynamo, so to say.

His early demise is a great loss to the Lankan cultural scene for he was not confined to the Tamil cultural scene alone as he had contributed to the Sinhala cultural scene as well. - K. S. Sivakumaran

Liya Saviya, a Sinhala and Hindu New Year fair and carnival organized by Diriya Mithuriya the Transport Ministry’s Seva Vanitha Unit was opened by actress and the queen of Sinhala cinema Malani Fonseka at the Shalika playgrounds Narahenpita yesterday. Here, Transport Minister Dullas Alahapperuma, Ministry Secretary Tilak Collure, Diriya Mithuriya Seva Vanitha Unit’s Chairperson Pradeepa Dharmadasa and Fonseka at a trade stall. The fair comprises 60 trade stalls providing various consumer items at a low rate. A special bus service from Ratmalana, Nugegoda, Borella, Dehiwala, Moratuwa and main railway stations were also organized for the public.

Passenger Transport Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna launched his website at the UPFA’s Gampaha district office recently. Here, Senior presidential advisor and UPFA Gampaha district leader Basil Rajapaksa launching the website, Attorney-at-Law Pushpa Rajapaksa and Ama Alagiyawanna were also present. - Picture by Jayaweera Sugathapala, Attanagalla special corr.

Home Affairs Minister Chandrasiri Gajadheera unveils a nameboard to open a Muslim Ladies’ Daham School at Bathutha Road, Matara recently. Muslim clergy were also present. - Picture A.W. Gunawardhana, Matara Central Correspondent