4 Thursday 22nd July, 2010 The IslandTheHome Island News Man who produced petrol with discarded polythene invents mobile machine to make bio gas from garbage

Chief Incumbent Ven. Pallaththara Deputy Minister Rohitha Jinananda thera lights the traditional Abeygunawardena lays the foundation oil lamp stone Ananda’s machine Ananda describing his new method, Foundation for three-storyed building said that instead of the conventional method of installing the bio-gas unit Ananda demonstrates his mobile bio- underground, it had been installed on for Sri Niketharamaya laid gas generator. the surface. The Foundation laying ceremony Jayantha Samaraweera, Chairman “This enables one to transport the for the proposed three-storied building of the National Housing Development unit to any place or the gas produced Central Environment Authority affiliat- for Sri Niketharamaya, Alwiswatta, Authority, Western Provincial Ananda Withanage, the inventor could be filled into a tank and transport- ed to a University.” Kalutara, was held recently under the Councillors Keerthi Kariyawasam and from Kabulumulla in Yatiyantota, who ed. “This could be a profitable venture if patronage of Deputy Minister of Ports Sugath Mathugamage, were present. produced petrol by using discarded plas- He said: “For producing petrol from this technology could be used on indus- and Aviation Rohitha The proposed new building when tic and polythene, has invented a discarded plastic and polythene in 2006, trial scale in local government institu- Abeygunawardena, under the guidance completed would serve as a part of the machine to produce bio-gas from I received State patronage. Today it has tions, hospitals, housing complexes, of the Chief Incumbent of Sri Sunday school, library and vocational garbage. been launched as a project of the etc,” Withanage said. NiketharamayaVen. Pallatthara training centre. Jinananda thera.

Top UN... From Page 1 Inga-Britt Ahlenius, the departing Sixty families encroaching on Irrigation Dept. land to be evicted Undersecretary General for the Office BY DASUN EDIRISINGHE of Internal Oversight Services, had, approval. several years. They had been asked to “We will take legal actions against them Fox News said, dispatched an end-of- The Irrigation and Water Resources “The Ministry has decided to evict vacate the quarters. immediately,” he said. assignment report at the close of her Management Ministry will evict 60 families those who encroached on the Irrigation He said his ministry had decided that The Ministry was spending Rs. 6 million five-year tenure on Friday that unlawfully occupying its land at Ratmalana. Department land countrywide. These unau- no employee will be allowed to occupy the annually to maintain the official quarters accused Ban of undermining her work Irrigation Minister Nimal Siripala de thorised structures also block waterways Department quarters for more than five and it was illegal to rent out even a part of to make the world body open and Silva said that there were 270 Irrigation causing mosquito breeding,” Minister de years. it, the Minister said adding that he had accountable. Department quarters on the 32-acre block Silva said. Minister de Silva said that it had been ordered the Colombo Region Irrigation The Fox News dispatch says: of land and the encroaching families had He said that some retired Irrigation offi- brought to his notice that some officials had Director to investigate and make a report Although Ban has frequently touted built houses on the land without any cers had been living in official quarters for even rented out their quarters to outsiders. within three days. his own projects to that end, Ahlenius wrote that under his watch, “There is no transparency, there is lack of accountability” at the UN. Ahlenius charged that Ban has Businessman... From Page 1 allowed the UN Secretariat — the exec- utive body he controls — to ‘decay’ and The suspect Sivakumar, alias Siva, is according to the police. ‘[drift] into irrelevance,’ reducing the a Canadian citizen. He had lived in The condominium project was capacity of the UN to respond to inter- Wellawatte for a long time after his return launched in 2005 while the CFA between national humanitarian crises. to Sri Lanka and engaged in the construc- the LTTE and the government was in “Rather than supporting the inter- tion of luxury apartments, sources said. force. nal oversight which is the sign of The suspect’s apartment complex Investigations have revealed that the strong leadership and good gover- nance, you have strived to control it consists of 78 units and 40 of them have suspect had deposited large amounts of which is to undermine its position,” already been sold at Rs. 15 million each, money with several banks. she wrote in a cover letter to her 50- page memo, a copy of which was obtained by the Washington Post. “I do Russia... From Page 1 not see any signs of reform in the Organization.” The petrified donkey, which was braying in “Some children thought it was a dog flying Ahlenius specifically faulted Ban terror, was described as “half dead” when it in the sky. They were crying ‘why did they send for setting up competing investigations was finally released. a doggy up in the sky?’ but then we realised it alongside her own and blocking her Onlookers said the animal was “faint and was a donkey.” from appointing officials of her choos- dizzy” as it tried to get to its feet following the Regional official Lilia Poltavtseva added: ing to staff her department. ordeal. “Unfortunately, none of the people on the “Your actions are not only Prof. G. L. Peiris, Minister of External Affairs and John Seneviratne, Minister of Public One mum at the Azov sea beach said chil- beach had the brains to call the police. deplorable, but seriously reprehensi- Administration and Home Affairs unveiling the commemorative plaque at the foundation- dren were screaming and crying with fear. She “But when it became public knowledge, ble,” the Post quoted her memo as say- laying ceremony to construct a new building for Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau said: “We could hear the cries of the donkey as investigators started a criminal case under the ing. “Your action is without precedent of Ratnapura. Chanaka Wakkumbura, Member of Parliament and Kingsley Ranawake, it was flown up in the sky.” law concerning cruelty to animals.” and in my opinion seriously embar- Chairman, Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau is also seen in the picture. But astonishingly not a single holidaymak- The man responsible is believed to run a rassing for yourself.” The letter, addressed to Ban and er called the police. business offering beach activities. sent to much of the UN’s senior brass, Cops are now probing the horrific case of If found guilty, he could be imprisoned for represents a rare personal attack on animal cruelty. up to two years under Russian laws. the secretary-general. United Nations New insurance scheme for Lankan Dina Goncharova, of the local police in the The condition of the donkey — normally documents are generally couched in Temryuk district, said: “The poor donkey was used to give rides to children on the beach — the gentle and opaque terms of inter- wailing loudly, and the children, hearing this, is not known. (The Sun) national diplomacy. workers, abroad mooted - Prof. Peiris were in tears. It all went on for half an hour. UN spokesman Martin Nesirky defended the secretary-general’s per- It is the duty and responsibility of the Gamini Senarath, the Chairman of the Sri formance Tuesday at a press briefing Government as well as its officials to look Lanka Insurance Corporation, who had President... From Page 1 in U.N. headquarters, telling reporters into the needs and problems of those Sri kindly agreed to his proposal not with a power sharing with the provinces and We hope and expect it will fulfil that promise.” that Ban came into office striving to Lankans employed outside the country and motive for profit but as a service to the implement the 17th amendment. The APRC constituted to resolve Sri improve accountability. find speedy solutions to them, specially as country. But lawmakers are now pointing to Asked if President Rajapaksa had Lanka’s national question had not figured in they constitute a segment of the population He thanked John Seneviratne, Minister the letter as further evidence that US assured him of the speedy implementation of his talks with Rajapaksa, Blake said. “I wel- that earned the largest slice of Sri Lanka's of Public Administration and Home tax dollars are being wasted at the the 17th Amendment, Blake said that talks come the President’s resolve to implement total foreign exchange earnings which had United Nations. Affairs for providing the land on which the between the government and the UNP on the 13th amendment and create a second “The stew of corruption, misman- even surpassed that brought in by the gar- new regional office building was to be con- constitutional reforms were a step in the right chamber. It is important for the government to agement, and negligence long plaguing ments sector, said Prof. G. L. Peiris, structed and said that the new office would direction. work closely with the Tamil people. I have the UN has reached a boiling point,” Minister of External Affairs who also high- facilitate a lot of foreign employment-relat- Blake said that the 17th amendment also spoken to the Tamil disapora in the US said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., lighted the need to offer those who sought ed work in the region. implemented would empower independent and urged them to help build the war ravaged in a press release Tuesday. foreign employment a high degree of train- Minister John Seneviratne speaking at commissions on Human Rights, Police, areas in the North and East of Sri Lanka.” “After reading this report, it is ing and the establishment of a comprehen- the occasion said that several hundreds of Bribery and Corruption and safeguard the Questioned if the US approved of the UN even clearer that US taxpayer dollars sive insurance scheme for them. thousands had found employment abroad being shipped off to the UN will con- media freedom. Panel on Sri Lanka in relation to the war He was speaking at a meeting held at and their remittances amounted to nearly tinue to be sucked into a black hole “While the Sri Lankan government has against the LTTE during the war, Blake said Ratnapura after laying the foundation stone 33 billion rupees. This income approximat- unless true reforms are enacted.” affirmed that it wants to revive and strengthen that it was only an advisory panel and did not Ros-Lehtinen is the author of a bill for the regional office building of the Sri ed what was being spent for the total its institutions of democracy, the US have investigative or judicial powers. But, it that would condition US funding and Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau con- import of petroleum into the country. He Secretary of State Hillary Clinton believes that must be remembered that the UN had the support for the U.N. on the enacting of structed at a cost of Rs. 70 million. hoped that with the establishment of the Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt and experience to perform such a role in a posi- large reforms. Prof. Peiris praised the decision by the new regional office, foreign employment Reconciliation Commission holds promise. tive manner, Blake said. A replacement for Ahlenius atop President to bring the Foreign Employment aspirations of the people of Ratnapura the watchdog agency has not been Bureau within the authority of the would be fulfilled and he thanked Prof. named, though UN officials said Ministry of External Affairs as that would Peiris for the endeavour undertaken. Restoration... From Page 1 efforts to improve the body’s perform- better facilitate the use of resources in our After the stone-laying ceremony Prof. ance were ongoing. another four months to complete. region of Rs. 300,000. The salaries for the embassies in those countries and help Peiris inspected the training facilities “The Secretary-General would be Waraya (Pvt) Ltd., the welfare arm of the six labourers employed totals Rs. 53,000 a launch a streamlined coordination pro- available at the Ratnapura office. the first to say this organization has a Nidhas Sevaka Sangamaya of the Sri Lanka month, while Rs. 30,000 is used to pay the gramme for the greater benefit for the Among others who addressed the meet- long way to go to fully implement the Ports Authority, has been in charge of main- two youngsters involved in replanting the country. ing were Kingsley Ranawake. Chairman, changes that are needed,” Nesirky, the taining the Galle Face Green since March 1 grass. There is also an officer in charge of He said that the need of the hour as far Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau spokesman, said. this year. They took it over from the SLPA. It the Galle Face Green and 15 security offi- as foreign employment was concerned, was and the Divisional Secretary, Ratnapura. was first maintained by the Urban cers on duty in two shifts. the commencement of a broad and wide- Among those in attendance were Chanaka Development Authority. Wijetunga further told The Island that Cops ... From Page 1 ranging training programme that would Wakkumbura, Member of Parliament, Wijetunga said that it cost one million there are eight to 10 youth looking after the Dippitigoda in Kelaniya. offer high quality training to those who Athula Rahubaddha and Ranjith Bandara, rupees per month to maintain the Galle Face vehicles (Rs. 20 for a motor cycle and Rs. 30 The six policemen had raided the gambling den seek foreign employment. He said that Minister and Chairman respectively of the Green but the income generated was less for a car/van) and they earn about Rs. 650 a on Tuesday, arrested several men and seized Rs. compared with Filipinos who were highly Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council, than half of that amount (Rs. 3 to 4 lakhs). day, inclusive of Rs. 150 for their meals. 12,000 from their possession. Later they had trained as a whole, Sri Lankans tended to Karunaratne Paranevithana, SLFP District He said the income was derived through He said that the income derived is from warned the gamblers and chased them away pock- get only about half the salary of the for- Organizer, Ratnapura and Tharanga Nalin rent from various stalls, vehicle parking fees, rent from various stalls (large and small fast eting the money, the Peliyagoda Police said. mer. Gamlath, Working Director, Foreign pony rides and from vendors while the food outlets, kiosks, mobile vehicles, cart On information received that a raid had been With regard to the implementation of a Employment Bureau and several other expenditure was on electricity and water, venders, mobile venders, pony rides, kite conducted and money taken into custody, the high comprehensive insurance scheme for those members of and several other members of salaries of the security and maintenance sellers etc.) and rents range from Rs. 1000 ranking officers of the Peliyagoda Police conducted employed abroad, Prof. Peiris said that he Provincial Council, Pradeshiya Sabahs and staff. to Rs. 12,000 a month, and there is a possi- an investigation and produced the suspects before had already discussed the matter with local government bodies. The electricity bill alone comes to about bility of even McDonalds opening an outlet the Colombo Magistrate, who remanded them. Rs. 350,000, while the water bill is in the on the Galle Face Green soon.