2 Thursday 13th January, 2011 The Island Home News Navy’s Agricultural Park President visits at Uswetakeiyawa yields flood affected

bountiful harvest President yes- The Navy’s agricultural terday (12) visited the flood affected park at SLNS Kelani, in Uswetakeiyawa has yielded a areas in the North Central Province. bountiful harvest due to the He met flood victims in Kirimatiya, efforts of the Naval person- Weliela, Pansalgodalla in the nel who took the initiative to Lankapura area of Hingurakkgoda at turn an acre of arid land, Galamuna Maha Vidyalaya. The battered by strong sea President discussed their problems winds, into a fertile agricul- and distributed relief items. tural field filled with rich President Rajapaksa also met gov- crops. ernment officials at Ananda Balika The innovative agricul- national school, Hingurakkgoda and tural park, an alternative to the traditional agricultural instructed them to expedite the relief garden concept, is home to a work, treating it as an essential serv- wide range of low-country ice, and to be constantly in touch with and up-country vegetables, the people and look after their needs. leaves, yams and fruits rep- resenting a wide spectrum of hues giving a pleasing Pay hike for The Navy on Wednesday (Jan. 12) accorded a guard of honour to the outgoing Navy Chief, newly pro- non-exec. public moted Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe, at the Navy headquarters. Samarasinghe during his career held key command and control positions in the Northern and Eastern Provinces and other areas before suc- servants ceeding Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda at the end of the war in May 2009. (Photo - Navy media) BY DON ASOKA WIJEWARDENA

All non-executive grade public servants would get a five per cent pay hike with their ACHSU warns of midwives January salaries, along with a Cost of Living allowance of Rs. 600. Executive grade employees will get their W. D. J. appearance to the beholders. protest demanding incorporation increments from July. The men in blue have over- This was revealed yesterday by come the odds and trans- Public Administration and Home formed the sandy soil of the Affairs Minister W. D. J. Seneviratne at land through the infusion of a media briefing. carbonic manure. To over- into nursing service He said that the pay hike was in come the threat of flooding keeping with the Budget proposals they have put in place a net- wives commenced initially. He said they had BY DILANTHI JAYAMANNE mentioned by President Mahinda work of drains and posi- The All Ceylon Health Services Union on urged the Ministry to provide an extra train- Rajapaksa in November last year. tioned the vegetable beds at Tuesday (11) warned that midwives in the ing period required by nurses to the mid- a higher elevation. Southern and Western Provinces would wives. Their hard labour and stage a protest today (13) demanding that the The ACHSU had already carried out tender care has borne fruit government incorporate them into the nurs- protests in areas such as Kurunegala, and the land has now blos- ing service. Ampara and several other districts he said. somed in green. Efficient However, the Government Midwifery CP schools land management, utiliza- President of the ACHSU Gamini Service Association warned all midwives not tion of modern agricultural Kumarasingha said midwives had been side- to be duped by the efforts of ACHSU to techniques and creative lined following the initiation of the involve them in protests. GMSA Deputy re-open Monday arrangement of vegetable Community Nursing Service. beds have given the park an He said it would be better to give the extra General Secretary Devika Kodituwakku said BY CYRIL WIMALASURENDRE, that it was a ploy of ACHSU to get them attractive look. training to midwives and train them in the KANDY Community nursing than giving nurses a involved. “Ours is the one union with a large special training for community service. female membership. And they just want to Schools in the Central Province, “Nurses are required in hospitals rather involve us in their disagreements with the which were closed last week due to than out on the field. Simultaneously it’s Health Ministry,” she said. heavy rains and earth slips, would Anti-narcotic campaign Kodituwakku urged midwives to refrain best to allow midwives to continue serving reopen only on Monday January 17, from joining any other protests when the the community,” he said. Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake country had bigger issues to deal with fol- in K’gala schools Kumarasingha said the ACHSU had dis- said. cussed the matter with the Health Ministry lowing the recent floods and large scale dis- There are nearly 1,600 schools in the harmful consequences when the tussle between nurses and mid- placement. BY BINGIRIYA CORR. the Province. of consuming narcotics. Ekanayake said that some build- With the aim of educat- A senior school princi- ings of Dharmaraja College, D. S. ing school children on the pal in Bingiriya told The dangers of using harmful Island that 175 senior stu- Senanayake Vidyalaya and Gothami drugs and liquor, the dents of popular govern- Midwives distribute ‘Thriposha’ among flood victims Balika Vidyalaya needed renovations Ministry of Health has ment and private schools due to damages caused by heavy rains. organised 35 awareness pro- had been found guilty of The Government Midwifery General Secretary of the placed persons in the District. Private schools in the province, too, grammes to be held in misbehaving on highways Service Association provided Government Midwifery Service She urged the public to would remain closed until Monday. National and Central after liquor during the last eighty thousand packets of Association Devika assist them by providing milk Colleges in the Kurunegala year. ‘Thriposha,’ (infant food) in the Kodituwakku said on Tuesday food, sanitary items, dry rations “All of them were from district during January and Polonnaruwa district to flood (Jan 11). and drinking water. February 2011. schools in the Kurunegala From page 1 victims. This was carried out She said that in addition, Over six thousand persons Thisara... The school principals, district and educating stu- under a directive from the fifty midwives would be sent to have been affected by floods in LTTE numbering nearly 150, too dents on the ills of nar- have been trained to educate cotics is of vital importance Health Ministry, Deputy provide their services to the dis- Polonnaruwa. attempts during senior school children on nowadays,” he said. Jan-May 2009 to evacuate its lead- VIJITHA ership by sea. One of the RATHMALANA ADVERTISING Government holds discussions with TNA SLN spokesmen at 14 – 16 CLASSIFIED an earlier stage of BY LAL GUNESEKERA 2, 4, 7 pm Premachandran told The Island that the a methodical manner. the eelam conflict, ALCOHOLIC EMPLOYMENT The government and the Tamil talks were held in a friendly and cordial The TNA was represented by Dissanayake is WOMAN AND A EXPERIENCE Drivers, National Alliance (TNA) held discus- atmosphere. He said that this was as the Parliamentarians Suresh credited with the PSYCHIATRIST Theressa Russel Housemaids, sion for about 45 minutes at Temple first such meeting between the govern- Prmachandran, first destruction Babysitters, Cooks, At- in Trees on Monday (10). They initiated a ment and TNA on urgent issues and and M. A. Sumanthiran. of a Sea Tiger tendants, available. discussion directed towards reconcilia- that the next discussion is scheduled The government was represented craft in April 1984 Please Contact Srimali tion through a political settlement and for January 24, also at Temple Trees. He by former Prime Minister and Senior north of Kankesanthurai killing 19 ter- BED Manpower, Goodshed Road, Kalutara South. also to address the urgent humanitari- said that they (TNA) “hoped for the bet- Minister rorists. TIMING 034-5678094/077- an and reconstruction needs of the ter”. and Ministers Navy headquarters said that the 9834255 Tamil speaking people of the Northern Premachandran said that the dis- and Professor G. L. Peiris with MP new Navy Chief had been involved in Mass Times at and Eastern Provinces. cussions will be held regularly with a Sajin de Vas Gunawardene as Secretary the capture and/or destruction of over ST. ANTHONY’S SHRINE Jaffna District TNA sense of commitment to identify the to the committee. 30 LTTE craft over the years. Kochchikade - Colombo 13 Parliamentarian Suresh issues and to work towards solutions in Dissanayake is the recipient of the highest number of medals and decora- * Daily Mass: NEALE - A. D. (GEORGE) tive badges. 6.00 a.m. - Tamil Dissanayake received MPhil First Forbes & Walker Ltd. announces with Class with Distinction from the 12.15 p.m. - Sinhala profound sadness the passing away of one University of Madras and also studied * Tuesday St. Anthony’s of their former Senior Directors, Mr. A. D. at the National Defence College of Novena & Mass: (George) Neale on Friday the 7th of January 6.00 a.m. - Tamil 2011. India. He has followed several other 11.30 a.m. - Benediction He leaves behind his wife Shealagh and son courses both here and overseas, includ- 12.00 noon - English John. His daughter Penelope (Pepe) pre- ing training with the Indian and 5.30 p.m. - Benediction deceased him sometime ago. British navies. 6.00 p.m. - Sinhala Mr. Neale was with Forbes & Walker Ltd. 8.30 p.m. - Benediction from the late 1940s till the early 1970s when * First Friday Mass: he retired as a Senior Director of the Company. DEATH 6.00 a.m. - Tamil Following his retirement from Forbes & Walker 12.15 p.m. - Sinhala Ltd., he moved to England and was a Director GUNASEKERA – U.P.A. (ULA), son of 6.30 p.m. - Tamil of Wilson Smithett and Co., one of the leading late Mr. and Mrs. Albert P.W.Gunasekera, * Sunday Mass: Tea Broking Houses in London for many years. brother of Chaturanee, Srimal, Ramya, Saturday - 6.00 p.m. - English His final retirement was in the late 1990s after late Kumar, Padmani, late Gayani, late Sunday - 5.30 a.m. & 7.30 a.m. - Tamil almost a 50 year association with the Tea Mohan, Shireen and Mahesh, expired. Cortege leaves residence at 2.30 p.m. on - 12.15 p.m. & 5.30 p.m. - Sinhala Industry both in and Globally. Thursday 13th Jan. for Cremation at For those who would like to correspond General Cemetery Matara at 3.00 p.m. with Shealagh and John, we give below “Lands End”, Fort, Matara. their address in the UK. The funeral of UNP Gampaha District leader and former parliamentarian and Minister A.F. RAYMOND LTD. Walters Cottage Sarathchandra Rajakaruna was held yesterday afternoon (12) at the Kirindiwela Maha Lower High St. Wadhurst Vidyalaya grounds. Economic Development Minister visited the FUNERAL DIRECTORS Pugoda residence of late Mr.Rajakaruna and paid his last respects on Tuesday. His SILENTLY SERVING THE NATION East Sussex TN 5 6AT Phone: 693737 / 8, 694474. UK son Western Provincial UNP Councillor is also in the pic- ture.(Pic-Sachithra Elwalage) Fax: 94-1- 685632