4 Tuesday 4th January, 2011 The Island Home News SL expects more help from India to develop N&E - Fowzie On attacks on Indian fishermen allegedly by Lankan naval personnel, he said Rajapakse has drawn up various plans to put an end to such incidents.

Keelakarai (PTI. Jan 2): A Sri join the mainstream,” Provincial governor Syed bilitation of Tamils,” he said. Weerakumara Dissanayake after openong the common serv- Lankan minister today said the coun- Minister A. H. M. Fowzie said Alavi Mowlana. On attacks on Indian fishermen ice centres at Walakada and Katukenda in Kalutara and Galle try expected more help from India to here. Mowlana said the Sri allegedly by Lankan naval person- districts respectively hands over equipment. From right develop the war-ravaged areas in “Sri Lanka will not act Lankan government and nel, he said Rajapakse has drawn up Weerakumara Dissanayake, Deputy Minister, Mr. V. northern Lanka, dominated by against India at the instigation Tamils had forgotten the past various plans to put an end to such Sivagnanasothy, Ministry Secretary, and Udayasiri minority Tamils. of any country,” he said with- and are now looking to a good incidents. Kariyawasam, Chairman, Industrial Development Board. “The nation expects more help out elaborating on the state- future. “As of now good relationship pre- from India for developing the Tamil ment. “The past is past. Let what vails between Indian and Sri Lankan areas. A cordial atmosphere now pre- Fowzie claimed that is going to happen be good,” governments as also Tamil Nadu vails in relations between Tamil absolute peace prevailed in Sri Fowzie he said. and no force can split this unity,” he Nadu Chief Minister M. Lanka and that India had He said Singh and said. Enough funds for Karunanidhi, Indian Prime Minister offered to build 50,000 houses for Rajapaksa shared a good understand- The proposed ferry service Dr Manmohan Singh and Sri Lankan Tamils. ing best reflected in the fact that the between India and Sri Lanka will President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He was speaking at the marriage latter was implementing “various further strengthen the bond between upliftment of Tamils will once again develop and of a relative of Lankan Western suggestions for the welfare and reha- the two nations, the governor said. traditional industries

huge quantum of He said that these 1,000 funds has been allo- Industrial Villages, were set Rice buffer stock to meet any emergency Acated from the up under ‘Rekiya Bihidora’ Budget by President Programme of ‘Mahinda BY LAL GUNESEKERA are of the opinion that five Authority (CAA). than in the open markets. Mahinda Rajapaksa for the Chinthana’ Vision for the million tons of paddy was He said that the He said that special teams will upliftment of traditional future. Minister Devananda Minister of Cooperatives and needed by 2020 and that the prices of chicken, eggs be sent to Economic Centres for industries and other village was very keen to take this Internal Trade Johnston Fernando country needs to increase its and big onions would be inspection purposes and action based small enterprises, programme forward for said that the country will not face production taking into con- further reduced with will be taken against unscrupu- said Weerakumara reaping desired benefits. He any shortages of rice due to sideration the population imports from India lous traders and trading practices. Dissanayake, Deputy also said that his Ministry bumper harvests in the Maha and growth. They have targeted (chicken and eggs) and Fernando said that action will Minister of Traditional in future would provide Yala seasons which have been a 40 per cent increase in pro- Pakistan (big onions), also be taken to take back stalls Industries and Small modern equipment deemed stored as a buffer stock in case of duction in the dry zone and but he has no control that have been sub-let, like that Enterprise Development, necessary for the industry 50 per cent increase in the over vegetable prices what happened at the Dambulla any emergency. when he opened the com- and that local as well as for- He told The Island that he will wet zone by 2020. which have increased Economic Centre on Sunday mon service centres for eign markets would be not tolerate unscrupulous traders Minister Fernando has due to the recent heavy (January 2). kitul related products at the found for their products. He ‘jacking up’ prices indiscriminately, also appointed two commit- rains. The Minister further revealed Neluwa Katukenda Village also said that there are and if this occurs he will give direc- tees to study the price fluc- Fernando said that that the government has written in Galle district and about 3 million Kitul tives to mill the stored paddy and tuations of consumer items, both in this year he will further increase off nearly Rs. 2 billion in loans in Walakada Village in the international and local markets. the Lanka Sathosa, Coop City and the co-operative sector where they palms in various part of release stocks to the market. He Kalutara District recently. One is headed by the Ministry’s Mini Coop City outlets where the still owe the government another the country and that steps also revealed that Sri Lanka could He also said that even export quality rice. Media Secretary Nipun Ekanayake prices of every consumer item Rs. 1,800 million, which will also would be taken to set up Minister, Douglas However; agricultural experts and other by the Consumer Affairs will be 15 to 20 percent cheaper be written off. common service centres in Devananda was in the other place too. process of setting up 1,000 He added that a similar Industrial Villages island- centre in the Kurunegala wide for the upliftment of District too would be Lanka to conduct traditional industries such opened. as, kitul, clay, coir and Secretary to the complete census Palmyrah related indus- Ministry, Sivagnanasothy, tries. said that the co-operative after 30 years Walakada Common societies to which the Country is getting ready to hold Service Centre at peopelised common serv- its first country-wide population Palindanuwara Divisional census after a gap of 30 years, offi- Secretariat Division has ice centres were handed cials have said. been put up at a cost of Rs. over that day, should act The last complete census was 24 million and has the with vision and will, to held in 1981 where residents of all capacity to boil 2,000 litres take forward the industry 22 administrative districts across of Kitul Sap. Katukenda to its desired level and this the country were counted. But sub- would entirely depend on sequently, after the North East con- Common Service Culture at the commitment and dedi- flict broke out in 1983, only partial Neluwa Divisional census could be held; in the last one Secretariat Division in cation of the individual held in 2001, the census could only Galle District has been set members. Any support the be conducted in 18 districts where up at a cost of Rs. 56 mil- Co-operative Societies the impact of violence was limited. lion. Both these service cen- needed could be obtained In that census nine years ago, tres are being managed by from the Industrial country’s population stood around two co-operative societies Development Board, he 20 million. set up for the very purpose. added. “Due to the problems in the The Deputy Minister Udayasri Kariyawasam, country, conducting a census Chairman IDB, K. R. throughout the island was not possi- presented all the 36 mem- ble. The 2001 census was conducted bers of the Walakada Co- Samarasinghe Additional only in 18 districts,” H R A large number of students of the Kelaniya University held a protest demonstration on Friday against operative Society with safe- Secretary and D. D. Gunasekera, a senior census and what they described as an assault on two students by political goons. The victims were hospitalized. ty kits and knives used for Amaratunga of the statistics department official told (Photo Wasala Senaratne) slicing kitul flowers. Ministry participated. media. The 2001 census left out the dis- tricts in the north and the east which were under the control of the LTTE till they were militarily Scholarships for media personnel defeated in May, 2009. Work on Sri Lanka’s “We will do the census in three The Media Ministry is possible to the Media stages. Geographic demarcation of offering scholarships to print Ministry. administrative units has already and electronic media journal- Media Minister Keheliya begun. In the second quarter of the ists. Those who have not Rambukwella said that 75 first ever irrigation year, the building census will begin. already applied for the schol- journalists had been offered Enumeration of people would begin arships are requested to send scholarships earlier. in the last quarter,” Gunasekera museum begins said. their applications as soon as

Work on Sri Lanka’s first ever dents and it will also be open to the irrigation museum, to be established general public. by the Ministry of lrrigation and But, he lamented that most Sri CMC to make metropolis Water Resources Management, will Lankans are not really aware of this commence this month. This is being irrigation history and it’s impor- done with a view to educate the pub- tance to the livelihood of the people. cleaner and greener lic on the country’s unique cen- He also said even the political turies-old irrigation technology and leaders do not have sufficient knowl- it’s history. edge on the country’s irrigation Envisages an anticipated income of Rs. 6,848 billion, while estimated The concept of this museum was technology and it’s history which the brain child of Minister Nimal had amazed the people across the expenditure is Rs. 6,846 billion with a Siripala de Silva and the project will world,” surplus of Rs. 1.6 million. be implemented in three stages, “We will be taking steps to edu- under the guidance of National cate them on this technology and BY LAL GUNESEKERA Museums Department. seminars will be organised for The Colombo Municipal Council has garbage collection and disposal and flooding of the city and Rs. 100 million Minister de Silva said that Sri school children to improve their planned to make the metropolis cleaner also for the improvement and reha- for the welfare of over 7,500 employ- Lanka has an unique irrigation his- knowledge on this subject.” and greener for its dwellers this year. bilitation of the road network, ees of the CMC. tory dating back to about 2,500 years. Already, irrigation technology The CMC is the largest local govern- including Bloemendhal Road, Rs. 80 million has been set “You can’t find the technology has been included as a subject in the ment body in the country and has been Polhengoda Road (Stage II), apart for the free health care sys- used in Sri Lanka’s irrigation sys- school curriculum. administered by Special Commissioner Bodhiraja Mawatha, Kettarama tem of over 800,000 persons and tems anywhere in the world. It’s Minister de Silva made these Omar Kamil since the Council was dis- Temple Road, High Level Road, maintenance of nearly 40 dispen- such unique and marvellous work by observations at a ceremony held at solved in 2009 following inquiries held into Poorvarama Road and saries. Rs. 50 million has also our forefathers” he said. the Mahaweli Authority to discuss various malpractices. Colombage Mawatha, initially. been allocated for under-served He said that the objective of set- on the future plans on the proposed Kamil, a former Mayor of Colombo, Rs. 80 million has been set settlements, utility services and to ting up the museum is to provide museum. told The Island that the budget of the CMC apart for the development of Galle maintain a better environment. information on the history of irriga- The event was attended by Ven. for this year (2011) was passed last week Road from Kollupitiya Junction near Asian Development Bank (ADB) assis- tion technology, it’s impact on civi- Ellawala Medhananda thera, and he envisages an anticipated income of Methodist College to Bambalapitiya tance to the tune of US$ 100 million has lization, history of the Mahaweli Director National Museums Dr. Rs. 6,848 billion, while estimated expendi- Junction. also been granted for the rehabilitation of programme and it’s future history of Nanda Wickremesinghe Prof. Raj ture was Rs. 6,846 billion with a surplus of Rs. 88 million has been allocated for the the existing sewerage lines. irrigation department. Somadeva, Prof, Nimal De Silva, Rs. 1.6 million. improvement and reconstruction of the Rs. 1.5 billion has been allocated for The museum will specially cater Director General of Mahaweli Rs. 275 million has been ear-marked for sewerage system, Rs. 60 million to ease the capital outlay and infrastructure. to the researchers, tourists and stu- Authority D.M.C. Dissanayake.