4 Thursday 3rd April, 2008 Ranil has rented party symbol to turncoat SLMC leader – Sirisena by Lakshmi de Silva entered into a political in 2007 it and was now asking house- In the latest political marriage with a person joined the wives to crack the pots of fiasco, the UNP leader notorious for gaining his Mahinda rice in protest not knowing Ranil Wickremesinghe has own ends by tying up with Rajapaksa that keeping the rice pot on rented out the party sym- the SLFP and the UNP and government the fire was a solemn ritual bol elephant to a political suddenly crossing over to and yet again of housewives in this coun- DIG Uva Province, H. N.B. Ambanwela addresses a meeting held at the Sanasta Hotel at Passara Road in Badulla recently, on security measures adopted during the year turncoat SLMC leader Rauf the other side about five in December try, he said. 2008, especially during the forthcoming Sinhala - Hindu New Year. General Manager of Hakim to contest the times. From 1989, the 2007 it He said the UNP mind- the Lotteries Board, M. S. Karunaratne, Lottery agents and lottery sellers of the Eastern Provincial Council SLMC was shifting its alle- Sirisena crossed over set today was on the nega- province, Major Amunugama of the Sri Lanka Army and several high ranking Police after continuing to lose giance from party to party to the tive side while the officers were present. Justice Minister and Badulla District Parliamentarian, Dilan election after election from to gain power but without Opposition, he said. Government working posi- Perera was the chief guest. (Photo-Bogoda Ratnayak, Badulla) 1994, spokesman of UNP a consistent policy. In 1994 However the UNP tively had reduced the rebel group R.A.D.Sirisena it gave its support to the leader who did not know North East problem to a told The Island yesterday SLFP and again in 2001 it the cultural values of the problem in the North win- (2). started supporting the UNP country, had gone to village ning the hearts of the peo- Wickremesinghe had to get porfolies and again fairs, got petitions signed ple of the East. ‘Consumption of wheat flour has decreased – Mithrapala EP PC polls: by Lakshmi de Silva Even the demand for rice had gone Livestock Development Minister The consumption of wheat flour had up with the international conditions decreased during the recent months as becoming adverse but the local farmers the demand for rice had risen. Of the are benefited with the increase of prices JVP’s Piyatissa as to boost dairy farming 890,000 metric tons imported recently of rice. People of the rural sector espe- By Franklin. R. Satyapalan 450,000 tons had been sold during the cially in the rice producing areas are chief ministerial of breeder farmers by month, Minister of Consumer Affairs H. also getting a good price for other crops The Minister of Livestock another 1000 during R. Mithrapala told The Island yesterday like betel or vegetable in addition to rice Development C. B. Ratnayake said that 2008, so that the country (2). Mithrapala noted. candidate he was submitting a Cabinet paper could be able to at least He said the prices of wheat and other However the government was watch- requesting the General Treasury for meet one third of its food grains had gone up due to some ing the local rice market as the wholesale The JVP named Rs. 1000 million to develop dairy annual requirements developed countries using grains for the rice trade was in the hands of a few mer- Katukitulagedera farming in the Eastern Province . “All locally, and promote the manufacture of bio fuels for industrial chants and appropriate action will be Wimal Piyatissa as that I request is a soft loan and not a drinking of fresh milk and transport uses as the oil prices had taken if the market trends cause prob- the party’s Chief grant”. Ratnayake among school children escalated during the last many months. lems to the public, he said. Ministerial candidate “I would humbly say that during by opening 1000 new for the forthcoming the two years since I assumed office, I milk outlets countrywide. provincial council have been able to develop the Applications had already been called polls in the East. Livestock Industry, especially dairy for this. Piyatissa 10th AGM His name was pro- farming in accordance to the wishes The Minister said that steps were posed by the leader- of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s being taken to register all livestock The following office bearers were ship and approved by the party’s Mahinda Chinthanaya proposals. farms in the country as poultry farms, elected at the 10th annual general Central Committee, a committee “ I need this soft loan to increase piggeries, dairy farms and goat farms. meeting of the Sri Lanka-China member told The Island. the production of milk with local The Minister said that there was Business, Co-operation council held Piyatissa 42, is a member of the herds and open milk collection cen- an urgent need to tighten loop holes in at Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce JVP group in Kantale Pradeshiya tres on in Batticaloa or Trincomalee the regulations in regard to milk col- at Colombo recently. Sabha. He teaches at Gantalawa in the Eastern Province, lection Centres, as there was evidence President - Nihal Mallikarachchi, Maha Vidyalaya. Anuradhapura in the North Central that some of those in charge of these Vice President - Jagath Savanadasa, He was an active member of the Province and Hambantota in the Centres were involved in various mal- Vice President - Lal De Alwis, party since 1994, party sources southern Province .The Minister said practices as selling the milk to out- Secretary General - Nihal Aluvihare, said. that he hoped to increase the number siders and adulteration. Deputy Secretary - A. D. A. Jowzie, Treasurer - Tilak Godamanne, Deputy Treasurer - Desabandu K. The launching ceremony of ‘Arunodhaya’ Jayakumar. Lankaputhra Newspaper published by the Department Committee members - Emil SL - UK recognise need for of Cultural Affairs, Eastern Provincial Kronemburg, V. Mohandas, Council was held at the Governor’s at Kandy Secretariat, Trincomalee on March 27 at Laksman Silva, Nimal Wijethunga, continued engagement 10.00 a.m. The Editor of the newspaper D. S. F. Muthusamy, M. Balraj, Sena by Cyril Wimalasurendre W. U. Welikala, Director, Cultural, Eastern Piyasena, Lushan Perera, Risman Tuesday’s talks between Sri Lankan KANDY - The Kandy Branch of Province present the first copy of the news Zareem, Editor - Ranjith Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama Lankaputhra Development Bank paper to the Governor. Dissanayake. and British Foreign Secretary David will be opened at No. 335, Miliband had covered a range of issues Peradeniya Road, Kandy today. including the forthcoming elections to Finance, State Revenue and the Eastern Provincial Council, Sri Deputy Minister of Planning Sports promoter Lankan officials said. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya will A joint press statement by UK declare open the bank branch at Foreign and Commonwealth Office and 10.00 a.m. today. Upali Hewage promoted DIG Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka states: Well known sports administrator en jubilee year of “Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Upali Hewage has been promoted to the Thurstan, he sin- Rohitha Bogollagama and British Bak Maha Ulela at rank of Deputy Inspector General of gle handedly Foreign Secretary David Miliband met at university grounds Police with effect from 12th March 2008 organized suc- the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and placed in charge of Crimes and cessful Rugby on 1 April. In a cordial and frank on April 5. Operations. sevens tourney exchange of views on the situation in Sri An Old Boy of Thurstan College, to mark the occa- Lanka, the Foreign Ministers discussed by Cyril Wimalasurendre Upali Hewage represented his school in sion. He was also the recent political developments in the KANDY - The University of cadetting, athletics and rugby captaining a vice President Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama Eastern Province, including the impor- meets counterpart Minister David Peradeniya for the first time has the College rugby team in 1968 occupy- of Thurstan OBU tance of ensuring that the forthcoming Miliband, Secretary of State for Foreign organised a “Bak Maha Ulela” in ing theNo. 8 position. Some of his rugby and a founder provincial elections are credible and con- and Commonwealth Affairs at his office the campus premises this, year. contemporaries were Mangala member of the ducted in a secure environment. The in London on April 1st. The “bak Maha Ulela” to mark Ratnayake, Sunil Jayakody, Milinda Thurstan Rugby Hewage Foreign Ministers exchanged views on the Sinhala and Hindu New Year Ratnayake, Rohan Boudweyn, Wasantha Club. the Commonwealth and discussed Ministers recognized the importance of will be held at the University Perera and Lal Gunasekera, all of whom Outside rugby, he currently holds the human rights as well as other issues of continued close engagement and regular grounds on Saturday 05. made their mark in Rugby in later years. post of Vice President of the Sri Lanka bilateral importance. The Foreign high level contact”. The event is held following a On leaving school, Upali joined the volleyball Federation and has also proposal by the Students Union of Police force to give truth to a life time accompanied national teams on overseas the University. ambition and served in many parts of tours. Upali is also a Deputy Secretary Vice Chancellor Prof. the island with long spells in Batticaloa General Executive Committee Member Harischandra Abeygunawardena and Trincomalee. Wherever he served, of the Sri Lanka Football Federation. and Deans of Faculties are expect- he got actively involved in sports. From Since 2005 Upali has been serving in ed to attend the festival.