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measures The Department of Archaeology which is the sole protector of approximately 12,000 documented sites and monuments of historic value, has only 40 watchers to ensure their safety, Director General of Archaeology, Dr. Siran Deraniyagala, told ‘The Island’. According to Dr. Deraniyagala the Department of Archaeology which also covers sites and monuments amounting to 100,000 over a land extent of 16,000 acres in the country, has only a staff of around 1,400. "This is hardly adequate if we are to protect these important sites. A ‘tiny department’ like ours can hardly be expected to do this properly without the necessary staff and cadres," he explained. Dr. Deraniyagala said that even the 40 watchers providing security to the sites were not professionally trained. He was commenting on the existing situation within the department on the provision of security with regard to last week’s plundering of 5 valuable ‘guardstones’ belonging to the Medirigiriya historic site in Polonnaruwa. The 5 guardstones had been removed by unknown persons and taken away in a tractor according to sources, despite the presence of a watcher on duty. The watcher is at present in police custody but no headway has so far been made by police investigating this robbery, he said. He lamented that for a Department of such importance only 14 of the entire staff of 1400 were professionals. "The number of professionals is hardly adequate to meet the demand within the Department. We need an increase in the number of personnel. We are now trying to redress the imbalance, but it cannot be done over night" he noted. He cited the low salaries being paid as the reason for the reluctance by professionals to join the Archaeology Department. "For the same quantum of sites in England they have a total of 4000 professionals involved in various forms of research and preservation work," he said. The Director observed that of the 100,000 sites and monuments identified in the country only 12,000 have been inventoried. As a means of remedying this situation the Department has already launched a programme in the North Western Province of inventorying such sites. "But this a long term process involving a considerable amount of funding. There is a grave necessity for the private sector to come in to the functions of the Department of protecting and conserving sites of historical sites and monuments," Dr. Deraniyagala said. Commenting on the increased threat to such sites from treasure hunters and other vandals, the Director said that the public must be conscious of the need to preserve their cultural heritage instead of "leaving the full responsibility in the hands of the Department." President in Durban for NAM summit President Chandrika Kumaratunga arrived in Durban yesterday evening to attend the 12th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, Information Department said. A guard of honour with full military honours was presented in honour of the visiting President. She was received by a special representative of the South African President Nelson Mandela. Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar who is attending the NAM Foreign Ministers conference was also present to greet the President. Earlier in the day Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa Thabo Mbeki inaugurated the Ministerial meeting of the Summit. Sustainable development, re-structuring of the United Nations, global terrorism, drug trafficking, third world debt and the environment will be the key issues that will be focused at this week's 12th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement which will be ceremonially inaugurated tomorrow 2nd at Durban, South Africa. Fifty Heads of State, five deputy Presidents or Prime Ministers and 102 Foreign Ministers have so far confirmed they will be attending the six-day Non-Aligned Movement's Summit at the International Convention Centre. Representatives of the European Union and the G8 countries, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom and Russia will for the first time be attending the summit as guests. NAM secretariat spokesman Mr. Abdul Minty told the media that 90 of the 113 member states had formally registered. Most of the heads of state will arrive on Tuesday. Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga is scheduled to address the summit at its inaugural session on behalf of the Asian Region. The other Heads of State who are scheduled to address the inaugural ceremony are the current President of the NAM, Colombian President Pastrana and the President of the host country South Africa, Nelson Mandela. Many of the 2000 to 3000 delegates and the 1500 strong media contingent have already started to arrive in Durban. Member-states or regional blocs would raise issues, which in their opinion needed the attention of world leaders. United Nations Secretary General Koft Annan and Organization of African United Secretary-general Salim Ahmed will be attending the Summit. President Chandrika Kumaratunga during her stay in Durban is expected to have bilateral talks with South African President Nelson Mandela and several other world leaders on bilateral issues and matters of mutual interest. Off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan bowled Sri Lanka to a historic maiden 10-wicket Test victory over England yesterday as he ran through the entire English batting line up in the second innings bar a run out to finish with 9 wickets for 65 in a marathon 54 overs here on the fifth and final day at the Oval of the one-off Cornhill Test match. Needing 36 runs for victory in 14 overs, Sri Lanka made it in 5 overs. Chance meeting of President and Anura after
four years After a four-year span President Chandrika Kumaratunga and her estranged brother,UNP Parliamentarian Anura Bandaranaike met yesterday. It was an accidental meeting at Nawaloka private hospital where Minister of Transport and Highways, A. H. M. Fowzie had been admitted for treatment. The President on her way to the Katunayake airport to emplane for South Africa had decided to pay a visit to Minister Fowzie at the hospital. Fifteen minutes into her visit saw the arrival of her brother Anura Bandaranaike who had also decided to call on the Minister. Security officials of the President then informed her of her brother’s arrival.When Anura saw his sister he greeted her saying "Hello Chandrika" and told her that he was under the impression that she had already left for South Africa. The President replied that she was on her way to the airport. Both of them appeared to be in a happy mood to have met each other and were engaged in lively conversation for about fifteen minutes after which the President bade good bye saying that she had to leave to catch her flight. Anura Bandaranaike lingered for a few more minutes inquiring from the recovering Minister Fowzie about his health. Minister Fowzie is now recuperating. Three Pallekele prisoners escape KANDY: Three inmates of the Pallekele Open Prison Camp had escaped from custody on Sunday (30) it has been reported to Kandy police. The escapees had disappeared on their way to bathe in the river nearby, sources revealed. The three men were each serving jail sentences of two year term. Two were found guilty of drug offences while the third was guilty of house breaking and theft. Halduwage Karunasena, Kaluarachchige Gunapala and Y. Lawrence Silva were from Attidiya, Welisara and Wellampitiya respectively, sources said. Kandy and Menikhinna police are investigating on the directions of Kandy SSP Nimal Mediwaka. DIG
postings for three senior SPs The government is expected to promote at least three senior SPs to the rank of DIG. Police said that at least three new appointments will have to be made to fill vacancies created by the retirement of senior DIGs, Kingsley Wickremasuriya and Gamini Gunawardene. Another vacancy has been created by the removal of senior DIG Merril Gunaratne incharge of Support Services. He has been sent on compulsory leave. Messrs. Wickremasuriya and Gunawardene submitted their retirement papers to Defence Ministry yesterday. Wickremasuriya held the post of senior DIG Intelligence and Security. The Ministerial Security Division [MSD], Presidential Security Division [PSD] and Prime Minister’s Security Division [PMSD] came under his purview. Gunawardene held the post of senior DIG Crimes, Criminal Intelligence and Organised Crime. Gunawardene has been also involved in the work of the Presidential Committee appointed to inquire into illegal arrest and detention of people. Senior DIG [Ranges 1] Lucky Kodituwakku will replace police chief W. B. Rajaguru today [1]. Kodituwakku, the fifth senior DIG [after Gunaratne was sent on compulsory leave] was selected over Messrs. Dharmadasa Silva, Wickremasuriya, Gunawardene and A. S. Seneviratne. After the recent retirement of officers, only three senior DIGs remain. They are Messrs. Silva, Seneviratne and H. M. G. B. Kotakadeniya. Highly placed police sources said that two more DIGs are expected to be made senior DIGs. Silva is presently abroad. He is expected to return in late this month. Informed sources did not rule out the possibility of Silva leaving the service. Seneviratne functions as senior DIG, Operational Command. However Kotakadeniya is attached to the non-operational Civil Defence Force. The new seniority list from today is as follows: Messrs. Silva, Seneviratne, Kotakadeniya, Anandarajah, Samarasinghe, Fernando, Randeni, de Silva, Herath, Karunasena, Liyanage, Sirisena Herath, Kumarasiri, Wickremaratne, Balasuriya, Seneviratne Banda, Victor Perera, P. K. C. Perera, Abeygunawardene, Nimal Gunatilake, Pathirana, T. N. de Silva, Hemachandra, Jayewardene and Punya de Silva. Lionel Karunasena will return to Colombo this week to take over duties as DIG Logistics. Bodhi Liyanage will move to Vavuniya in place of Karunasena who has been in operational areas in the past couple of years. Sources further said that the government is expected not to appoint more than 30 DIGs. The number of senior DIGs is expected to be not more than five, police said. Police said that there was a need to promote at least three senior SPs to the next rank as quickly as possible. However it was not clear whether the government was to promote the three senior most officers or hold interviews to select. The five senior SPs are Mitra Siriwardene [Director HQ Administration], Lal Ratnayake [Commandant Field Force], S. A. D. R. Solangaarachchi [Batticaloa Division], M. W. W. M. Dharmaratne [Director Higher Training] and S. K. Shankar [Director Research and Development]. Gala concert with the best of
musicians A gala concert featuring some of the best musicians Sri-Lanka has produced will be held this evening at the Hilton Hotel to celebrate the centenary year of examinations conducted by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music London (ABRSM). At a press conference at the hotel yesterday Olga de Livera, renowned pianist and the ABRSM representative in Sri-Lanka, Richard Morris, Chief Executive Officer ABRSM and Giles Morris, Marketing Manager ABRSM Publishing presided. The Associated Board is the biggest examining board in the world with around 500 examiners and over half a million candidates in 85 countries. The Board’s syllabuses set an excellent standard of musical education-with regular changes to incorporate the work of new composers, current styles and also changes and guidelines made upon the discrimination of exam results to mould better international standards. "Sri-Lanka was one of the first places outside the United Kingdom where examiners were sent by the Board to conduct exams," Richard Morris told the Press conference. He said that the Board’s examiners consisted of some of the leading names in the UK music industry and it was quite pleasing to note that Sri-Lanka has also produced some fine musicians. He added that although Sri-Lanka does not produce as many candidates as its Asian counterparts such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia, the proportion of music scholarships achieved by the local students was indeed remarkable. The centenary week which is from the 1st to the 5th of September is marked with many events including tonight’s gala performance. Included in the schedule of events is a reception for the Chief Executive and a music pedagogue course by scholars for teachers and students in association with the British Council between 1st-4th. September. The commemorative concert to be held tonight includes choral numbers as well to the accompaniment of some exceptional instrumental performances. Three past students residing overseas have been flown down especially to lend their talents as well for the show. The music has been arranged, orchestrated and conducted by Dayananda Fernando on a concept by Olga de Livera who is in her 50th year as a teacher of music. She said that she hopes there would be an independent body for music in Sri-Lanka. Richard Morris also said that as the Board’s CEO for the last six years he aims to make the examinations more open and responsive to people’s needs and this is evident in the introduction of jazz syllabuses from January next year which will be started in the UK as a pilot project. Giles Morris from the ABRSM publishers also added that a whole set of new materials and publications are available in Sri-Lanka as well. Compact Discs, Music Literature and ‘How To.." books have enjoyed vast sales as a result of people’s interest in music. Tonight’s performance is sure to be greatly appreciated by lovers of music and even to those who are not experts in the field because as Richard Morris stated "Music is a universal language". Troops in an offensive code named ‘Rana Handa’ in Trincomalee District captured a major LTTE base in Sampur, last Sunday. When the army swooped down on the Tiger base the terrorists had fled into the jungles. Fish plates, bolt nuts removed from rail line Police investigating Sunday's train crash at Wilwatte, Mirigama have found that four fish plates were missing from the track the first train derailed. Fish plates are used to link the railway line. Five people were killed in the incident. It was the removal of these fish plates that had caused the derailment, police sources said. Police had recovered four bolt nuts found along the railway line where the derailment occurred. Suspicions had also been raised whether this could be the work of the Tiger terrorists or some other saboteur gang. Tigers exploded a bomb along railway line at Rozella last month. Even Minister of Transport and Highways, A. H. M. Fowzie sometime back said that the LTTE was trying to disrupt rail transport. Food price drop brings ‘Market Basket’ down The Colombo Consumers’ Price Index (CCPI) for the month of August, 1998 was 2249.9. This shows a decrease of 73.9 index points or 3.2 per cent from the July index number of 2323.8. This is a decrease of Rs. 149.49 in the expenditure value of "Market Basket" when compared to July, 1998. The decrease in the CCPI for August, 1998 is due to decrease in prices of garlic, limes, red onions, some varieties of fresh fish and dried fish, coconuts, potatoes and all varieties of vegetables in the food group. These price decreases in food items can be attributed to higher supply to the main markets in Colombo City. However, prices of dried chillies, fresh fish — shark, mullet, dried fish — koduwa, salaya and cigarettes etc., increased during this month. Annual average inflation rate on the basis of 12 months moving average is 10.3 per cent in August, 1998 same as July, 1998. Rajitha files Rs. 50 m defamation case
against ANCL UNP Parlaimentarian Dr. Rajitha Senaratne has filed a fifty million rupee defamation suit in the Colombo District Court against the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. for publication of an article defamatory of him in the ‘Sunday Observer.’ The plaint filed by Samararatne Associates stated that the article defamatory of him was published in the ‘Sunday Observer’ of September 1, 1996 under the main banner headline "Rajitha in Court on Fraud Charges" of the said words, as part of the headline were, "sale of outdated goods to SLAF." These words were defamatory of the plaint Parliamentarian and intended to mean that he had changed stickers on the dental material supplied to the Air Force to alter the expiry date and that he had attempted to defraud the Air Force. The plaintiff was served with an indictment dated May 15, 97 a trial was held in Colombo High Court and the prosecution closed its case after leading the evidence of 12 witnesses. Senior Defence Counsel Tilak Marapana (PC) moved that the plaintiff be acquitted as there was no evidence to maintain the charge against him. Colombo High Court acquitted the plaintiff holding that it was a fabricated charge. There was no appeal from the order, the plaint stated. The plaint was settled by L. C. Seneviratne (PC) with Ronald Perera instructed by Samararatne Associates. SRAMO puts off trade union action until
return of Minister The Society of Registered and Assistant Medical Officers (SRAMO) has suspended its proposed trade union action following an assurance by Health and Indigenous Medicine Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva to discuss their grievances after he returns from his foreign tour which is scheduled to begin today, SRAMO Secretary Dr. Ananda Chandrasekera told ‘The Island’ yesterday. SRAMO warned the government last week of ‘stern trade union action’ by its 1,650 membership if the authorities failed to resolve its problems within two weeks. According to Ministry sources, the Minister will return to the country on September 7. SRAMO was planning to launch a one-day islandwide token strike initially and if a positive response from the authorities was not received, to resort to a general strike as a second step. This decision has been unanimously taken by the SRAMO membership at its general meeting held last Saturday at J. R. Jayewardene Cultural Centre which was attended by around 800 members. The long-standing demands of the SRAMO are: • Registered or Assistant Medical Officers (R/AMOs) also be paid allowances given to graduate medical officers for doing extra medical duties. • A diploma certificate be issued to R/AMO’s instead of the present efficiency certificate issued on completion of their three-year training. • R/AMOs be released from the provincial council jurisdiction and be taken back under the central government enabling them to get transfers out from the provinces in which they are now employed. "Due to that fact that the R/AMOs are under the jurisdiction of provincial councils, they have been working at same stations for decades without any chances for transfers. In addition the ‘efficiency certificate’ issued to us by the Ministry is recognised only by the Sri Lankan Government. This has caused much hardships to our membership in pursuing higher studies in foreign countries and applying for foreign jobs. What we need is an internationally recognised diploma certificate on completion of our training. Though a committee appointed three years ago recommended the issue of a diploma certificate, it has still not been implemented," Dr. Chan-drasekera lamented. "With regard to the extra duty allowances, the Minister of Health promised to take it up with the Treasury several months ago but now it seems to have been totally forgotten,’ he charged. According to Dr. Chandrasekera if the SRAMO members resorted to a general strike it will badly affect the North and East areas and border villages in particular because there are over 500 medical institutions in those areas which are solely handled by R/AMOs. Several
narcotics offenders flee country Fifty-one persons, including eight foreigners arrested for drug trafficking had jumped bail, Narcotics Bureau sources said. Most of them are believed to have fled the country, Narcotics officials said. Among the foreigners were two Pakistanis and three Indians, the sources said. Thirty-three local Narcotics wholesalers had gone missing after being bailed out. Eighteen of them were believed to have fled to India with their families, the sources said. Most of them possessed several kilogrammes of heroin with a street value of around Rs. 15 million, the sources said. Even some of the names and addresses of those who had been bailed out were found to be fictitious, the sources claimed. Some of them had been tried in absentia, sentenced to death and life terms in prison, the sources said. A few had escaped from prison or hospital while in custody, sources further said. The Narcotics Bureau has contacted the relevant foreign governments' authorities to arrest and examine the possibility of extraditing the offenders, who had jumped bail. Dr. N. R. de Silva appointed Chairman of ITI Batty Weerakoon, Minister of Science and Technology has appointed, Vidya Nidhi Dr. N. R. de Silva, as the new chairman, of the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI), with effect from 1st August 1998. Dr. de Silva, replaces Vidya Jyothi Dr. R. O. B. Wijesekera, who has been appointed the chairman of the newly established National Science and Technology Commission (NASTEC) with effect from 15 July 1998, by the President. Dr. de Silva, is no stranger to the ITI (successor to the CISIR), having been associated with many activities of the institute for several years, during his long tenure of office at the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI). He first served on the Governing Board of the then Bureau of Ceylon Standards from November 1976 and subsequently became the Director of the Bureau in March 1983. He served in this capacity until January 1984, at which time he was appointed Director General of the successor to the Bureau of Ceylon Standards, the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI), in which capacity he served until November 1989. In 1994, he was appointed Chairman of the SLSI, a post he held up to the point of his appointment to the ITI. Dr. De Silva, has been actively involved in the field of Standardisation and Quality management at a national level, having initiated several programs in education and training both at school level and in industry. He was responsible for the establishment of Quality circles in selected industries and also for formulating the first Laboratory Accreditation Scheme in Sri Lanka. He has a special degree in Chemistry from the University of Ceylon, in 1957 and Masters and Doctoral degrees from the University of Bristol where he specialised in Analytical Chemistry. He has contributed his expertise in the field of Chemistry and Quality Management to the country by serving, as a Lecturer in several University courses. He has also been a past president of both the Institute of Chemistry, Ceylon and the Sri Lanka Association of Quality. Dr. de Silva has served on the Governing Boards of the Centre for Industrial Technology Information Services (CITIS), on the Boards of Directors of the Sri Lanka Ayurvedic Drugs Corporation, the National Textile Corporation and the Sri Lanka Inventors Commission. He has also served on the Faculty of Science Board of the University of Kelaniya. Presently he is a member of the Faculty of Science Board of the University of Colombo, a Council member of the Open University of Sri Lanka and an elected member of the Governing Board of the Institute of Fundamental Studies (IFS). Dr. de Silva has on two occasions attended meetings of the Heads of Standards Institutions of the ESCAP Region in Bangkok and Beijing and represented Sri Lanka at meetings in Geneva, Beijing, Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur. He has also been a UNDP Study Fellow of Standards Institutions of Canada, USA, Republic of Korea and Singapore and the recipient of JICA (Japan International Co-operation Agency). UNIDO and AOTS (Japan) Fellowships to attend seminars and conferences on Industrial standardisation and Quality Control. Laboratory accreditation and Quality Management. Dr. de Silva now brings with him his vast experience in the areas of Standardisation, Quality Management and Laboratory Accreditation to lead the Industrial Technology Institute which has the objective of elevating level of technology in Sri Lanka to the level required for rapid industrialisation of the country. Note: This story is being repeated as some paragraphs were mixed up in the report which was published in ‘The Island’ of August 29, 1998. "Govt. drags on devolution proposals" ‘The government is dragging the devolution proposals aimlessly while making false promises", UNP General Secretary Gamini Athukorala, told a UNP rally at Eheliyagoda town to protest against postponement of the PC elections. He said that though Minister G. L. Peiris had stated that the UNP had not forwarded alternative proposals it had in fact put forward such alternative proposals in respect of the independent election commission, an independant police commission, an independent public service commission, judicial powers, finance and devolution of power at national level. "What remains relates to proposals pertaining to land," he was quoted as saying in a Press release issued by the office of the Leader of the Opposition, yesterday. |
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