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eating houses blamed Cholera hits major towns – 29 cases found
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Unlicenced eating houses blamed As the number of cholera patients in Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara zoomed to 29 yesterday, medical experts on infectious diseases warned that the threat of this deadly epidemic cannot be curbed in the Western province as long as Municipal and Urban Councils allowed the rash of grimy and unhygienic eating houses and tea kiosks to have a free run. In a shocking disclosure, it was found that of the 22 eating houses which were temporarily closed down in the city following the outbreak of the fresh wave of cholera, 10 were operating without licence. They were completely illegal business establishments. Prior to granting approval to eating houses and tea kiosks, a complete survey and an assessment on an individual basis must be carried out without giving the green light as soon as the licence fee is paid. Cholera and other infectious diseases raise their head at regular intervals because of lack of supervision by the relevant health authorities, it has been pointed out. Of the 29 cholera cases reported so far, 19 are from Colombo Municipal limits while the others are from Gampaha and Kalutara districts in the Western province, Health Services Director (Western Province) Dr. Nihal Jayatilleka said. Another 38 suspected cholera patients are now warded at the Angoda Infectious Diseases hospital. Most of the cholera cases have been reported from Pettah and Kolonnawa, he added. He said raids on unhygienic eating houses have been stepped up. An officer of the Mirihana police who was on his way to arrest a criminal was shot at Battaramulla on Sunday night, police said. Sub Inspector Prasanna Silva of the Crime Branch was shot at from a distance. He was at a check-point at Pelawatta, Battaramulla, when shooting occurred and the person responsible had managed to escape. SI Silva was admitted to Jayawardenapura Hospital with injuries to his abdomen. Police sources told ‘The Island’ that the victim and the Headquarters Inspector of Mirihana, Chief Inspector Kasthuriratna were at Battarmulla on the trail of a criminal. They had gone there in civvies. Police identified the shooter as a foe of the driver of the van which the police had used to travel to Battaramulla. Mirihana police and Talangama police are conducting investigations. (NP) TULF decision to vote against budget not
discussed with President The TULF’s decision to vote against next year’s budget over the allocation of Rs. 47.03 billion for defence will not reflect on the ongoing efforts to weaken the LTTE militarily, government sources said. Voting on the second reading of the bill for 1999 will take place tomorrow. Defence was the major component in PA administration’s fifth budget presented on November 5 by Deputy Finance Minister G. L. Peiris. The defence allocation comprised a staggering Rs. 39.04 billion for recurrent and Rs. 8.3 billion for capital expenditure. The TULF on Sunday admitted that their decision to vote against the budget was not discussed at all during last Friday’s meeting with President Chandrika Kumaratunga at Temple Trees. The TULF’s Secretary General R. Sampanthan and the leader of the parliamentary delegation, Joseph Pararajasingham told The Island on Sunday that the matter never came up during discussions with the President. Asked whether the President wanted the TULF to reconsider its decision to vote against the budget, Pararajasingham said that " no she did not," Replying to a question, the Batticaloa District parliamentarian admitted that TULF’s latest move will not topple the PA administration. Both Messrs Sampanthan and Pararajasingham said that their party decided to vote against the budget to ‘protest government’s efforts to continue with war effort’. Government sources said that there was no possibility in reducing the defence expenditure in view of the ongoing military operations against the LTTE. A supplementary vote of Rs. 12 billion was approved two months ago resulting in the increase of defence expenditure to Rs. 56 billion for this year. The President who met the six member TULF delegation minus officials had assured that she will look into issues raised. A few hours before meeting with the TULF delegation, the President appointed major general Asoka K. Jayewardene as Governor of the temporarily merged North-East province. The TULF and other Tamil parties had been critical of the appointment. Asked whether they objected to Jayewardene’s appointment during the meeting with the President, Sampanthan said that they did not make any recommendations or objections. Both Sampanthan and Pararajasingham were of the opinion that the government must talk to the LTTE as quickly as possible. "We impressed upon the President the compelling need to commence a dialogue with the LTTE and the importance of structuring talks with third party facilitation so as to ensure meaningful progress," Sampanthan said. "People particularly those living in some parts of the Wanni have suffered enough," he said insisting that the decision to vote against the budget in view of the rising defence expenditure was taken to show the party’s opposition to government’s war effort. Pararajasingham said that the TULF has always requested both sides to resume negotiations. Asked whether the TULF wanted to make representations to the LTTE directly, Pararajasingham said that they [TULF] had always urged the LTTE to resume talks with the government. Four
flights delayed Four flights were delayed yesterday afternoon when Air Lanka ground crew at the Bandaranaike International Airport staged a 45-minute lightning strike to show dissatisfaction about alleged management negotiations with a rival union. Union sources told ‘The Island’ yesterday that members of the Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya (SLNSS) attached to ground handling, ticket counters, cargo, mishandled baggage, ramps, plant and equipment and other operation sections walked out of their work stations. They installed themselves outside the personnel department and shouted slogans. The sources said employees "temporarily suspended" their 45- minute action after a short discussion with Air Lanka’s management held at the airport. The departing flights of Indian Airlines and Emirates as well as arriving flights of Air Holland and Air Lanka were delayed due to yesterday’s work stoppage. Airport sources said that in the case of the Indian Airlines and Emirates flights which were scheduled for departure, passengers were boarded but the flights were unable to take off as the ground staff refused to remove the staircases. Meanwhile, the management of Air Lanka labelled the union action as ‘an unauthorised work stoppage’ as due notice had not been given. They pointed out that such lightning strikes were in violation of a Collective Agreement between the management of Air Lanka and union. A spokesman for Air Lanka maintained the strike had been instigated by some interested parties who had led the union to believe there were discussions between the management and a technicians’ union. Striking workers were under the impression, he said, that as a result of these discussions the management were scheduled to enter into an agreement with technicians yesterday on a salary issue. "That is not correct," said the spokesman, "There may have been negotiations but there was no agreement signed". A different version of the story was delivered by the union in question, chief organiser of the SLNSS, Air Lanka branch, M. Vaidyasekera, said the dispute is over an out of court settlement which he claims was due to be arrived at between the technicians’ union and the management of Air Lanka. "The technicians’ union and management were engaged in discussions aimed at arriving at an out of court settlement," Mr. Vaidyasekera alleged. "The agreement was to be signed yesterday afternoon, which was why we struck work," he claimed. Mr. Vaidyasekera also said a discussion had been held last Friday between the SLNSS and the Air Lanka management to solve the dispute. He noted that the talks had not borne fruit. Mr. Vaidyasekera said the SLNSS has about 3,500 members at Air Lanka. S.Africa says Sri Lanka fighting its own affair PRETORIA, Nov 16 (Reuters) - South African Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo told his Sri Lankan counterpart Lakshman Kadirgamar on Monday that the island’s security was an internal matter in which South Africa would not interfere. Sri Lanka has expressed concern that the LTTE movement was trying to set up its headquarters in South Africa, a notion dismissed as "unfounded" by Pretoria. "South Africa supports President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s programme for devolving power and believes that the conflict in that country is an internal matter which should be resolved by the Sri Lankan people themselves," Nzo said in a statement after meeting Kadirgamar, who arrived in the country on Sunday. South Africa has a population of about one million people of Indian origin, the majority of them Tamil. Sri Lankan officials believe that South Africa’s Indian population would provide a ready support base for the LTTE. South African officials also deny suggestions that the country has sold arms to the LTTE, whose international headquarters are currently in London. Sri Lanka foreign ministry officials have said the LTTE planned to move its base to South Africa after Britain announced it would tighten laws against terrorism. Pretoria and Colombo established diplomatic ties in 1994 following South Africa’s first all-race election, and Nzo said he and Kadirgamar had committed their countries to boosting ties. Mysterious aircraft seen - LTTE plane
suspected An investigation is underway into the reported presence of a mysterious aircraft in the skies of the North, military spokesman Brig. Sunil Tennakoon told "The Island". It had not been conclusively established that it was an aircraft belonging to the LTTE, he said. Meanwhile a naval patrol along the islands of Karainagar, Kayts and Elavathivu had heard the drone of an aircraft and had seen a light from the direction of the sound on the nights of last Thursday and Friday. The navy had then opened fire at the light in the sky, but there was no signs of any aircraft being shot down, according to reports. FTZ employees arrested for exhibiting
nude photos Four masons working in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone (FTZ) were arrested by Seeduwa police last Sunday for allegedly exhibiting nude photographs of a FTZ female employee. Police also seized one of the nude photographs and the camera used for this purpose. Police acting on a complaint made by a 38 year old FTZ female employee took the four suspects into custody. According to police investigations the victim woman had fallen in love with a married mason also employed in the FTZ. Last February, the couple had gone to a hotel where the mason had taken five nude photographs of the woman without her knowledge in an intricate way. Later the mason had given the film to some of his co-workers to get it printed. They had got the photographs printed and shown it to some of the other workers in the FTZ causing embarrassment to the woman, police said. She had been chased out of her lodging and through sheer shame had resigned from her job. Information had also been revealed that the suspects had photographed certain other female FTZ employees, police said. Priceless bronze statue stolen Police are baffled by the mysterious disappearance of a priceless ‘Thara Devi’ bronze statue belonging to the 5th century BC, from the Anuradhapura Archaeological Museum. Police have taken in for questioning the security guards who were on duty, but no headway has so far been made. ’We have not come across any clues yet’, a senior police official based in Anuradhapura said yesterday. Police suspect that this priceless statue had been smuggled out of the museum, but its whereabouts are still unknown. It has still not been established when and how it disappeared. Around 11.30 am last Friday, a security guard who was on duty at that particular section of the museum had informed R. M. Herath, the administrative officer of the archaeological site that the artefact was missing, police said. Contacted by "The Island’ in Anuradhapura yesterday, Mr. Herath said that the missing ‘Thara Devi’ bronze statue was kept in a showcase with two other bronze statues. ’As soon as the disappearance was brought to my notice, I informed Director General of Archaeology, Dr. S. U. Deraniyagala who directed me to seal that particular section of the museum and inform the police. He said the missing statue in a sitting posture is 3 1/2 inches in height with a width of 2 1/2 inches. It is open to the public from 8.00 am to 5.45 pm. on each day. For each section there are about 15 security guards. After the museum closes for the day, the security guards are expected to check each and every artefact and inform the officer in charge of the museum that everything is in order. After re-checking all sections, the keys are kept in the custody of the police, he explained. Rs. 7 lakhs worth duty free liquor seized Colombo city excise officers seized Rs. 7 lakhs worth of duty free liquor from three unauthorised sales outlets in Modera, Pettah and Fort areas last Friday. The raid was carried out by a team led by OIC Colombo City Excise Station (CCES) T. Mahendran on a tip-off received by the Commissioner General of Excise Bandula Wijeratna. Three suspects were taken into custody during the raids carried out with the assistance of Kesbewa Excise Station and Narcotics Intelligence Unit, sources said. Among the stock of foreign liquor seized were whisky, wine, gin, brandy, rum, vodka and beer. Excise sources said that the foreign liquor is being smuggled into the country through various rackets. They end up in the market for sale at high prices leaving a broad profit margin. President Chandrika Kumaratunga during a meeting with FAO Director General, Dr. Jacques Diouf, the President had agreed to include Sri Lankan technicians (up to 300) to be involved in the South Co-operation for the Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) projects in several countries. She requested FAO assistance in crop intensification, diversification, improvement of animal production and post harvest technologies. |
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