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TULF
senior vice president tough on Tigers
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TULF senior vice president tough on
Tigers ‘The people of Jaffna elected us to serve them and we will continue to do so. We will not be intimidated’, senior Vice President of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) V. Anandasangari said. He says the killing of their Jaffna branch Secretary Pon Mathimugaraja by the Tigers is an indication that a sense of hopelessness is creeping into LTTE ranks. The TULF was not planning to nominate Mathimugaraja to fill the vacancy created by the killing of Jaffna Mayor Ponnadurai Sivapalan. "I just don’t understand the thinking of the LTTE who claim to be the saviours of the Tamils", Anandasangari told ‘The Island’ when contacted in Jaffna. Prior to gunning down Sivapalan the LTTE also killed Jaffna Mayoress Sarojini Yogeswaran. Anandasangari likened the killing of unarmed Mathimugaraja, while organising activities connected to the 11th death anniversary of Indian film idol M.G.Ramachandran in Jaffna on December 26, to a person shooting a sparrow and then running away. "By this killing the LTTE has also shown its disrespect for Mr. Ramachandran who helped them a great deal. On one occasion MGR collected four crore rupees in one day and gifted it to the LTTE", he said. Anandasangari said the LTTE’s attitude towards the TULF puzzles him. " After gunning down our unarmed members they criticise us for seeking government security .The LTTE radio has even criticised me for using an Air Force plane to visit Jaffna to attend the funeral of Mathimugaraja. How do they expect me to travel to Jaffna in an emergency after they themselves (LTTE) were responsible for the ban on civilian flights to the peninsula by shooting down a civilian aircraft?", he queried. The TULF, he pointed out had gone to the extent of calling for third party mediation in bringing the government and the LTTE to the negotiating table. But the LTTE doesn’t seem to understand that the TULF’s only objective is to see an end to the North-East conflict, he observed. Anandasangari said the TULF is committed to non violence as preached by its late leader S. J. V. Chelvanayakam. "We were elected by the people of Jaffna to serve them and we will continue to do so. We will not be intimidated", he said. Anandasangari appealed to the government to disarm all groups operating in the Jaffna peninsula. This, he said would ensure that no one gains any undue advantage. Bomb on Pakistan PM’s route kills three LAHORE, Pakistan, Jan 3 (Reuters) - A powerful bomb went off on a road that Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was due to take outside his home city of Lahore on Sunday, killing three people and injuring a security official, police said. They said the blast occurred under a bridge on a section of road between Lahore, capital of the central province of Punjab province, and Sharif’s farm-house at Raiwind, some 35 km (22 miles) south of the city. The explosion killed three men passing by and injured a police inspector who was at the site making security arrangements for the prime minister’s drive back to Lahore, the police said. They said the blast occurred at 9:55 a.m. (0455 GMT) at a point some 20 km (12 miles) from Lahore. It was not immediately known when the prime minister’s car would have passed the site. Sharif arrived in Lahore on Saturday and is due to preside over a meeting of heads of provincial municipal bodies on Monday. Sharif, 49, came to power for the second time after winning a landslide victory in elections two years ago. He has emerged as the country’s most powerful premier in decades. Groomed by a military dictator and installed by an army-backed establishment, Sharif became the first industrialist to head a Pakistani government in November 1990 after Benazir Bhutto was sacked by former president Ghulam Ishaq Khan. In 1993, Sharif was also sacked by Ishaq Khan in a power struggle. He was reinstated by the Supreme Court but later resigned along with the president in an army-brokered deal that led to new elections, won by Bhutto. Sharif led his Pakistan Muslim League party to a landslide victory in the 1997 elections ordered by then President Farooq Leghari after sacking Bhutto. Sharif used his huge parliamentary majority to amend the constitution to divest the presidency of the controversial powers that Leghari had used to sack Bhutto as well as to appoint chiefs of armed forces and provincial governors. UNP knows no basic statecraft, even JR
was no great statesman The United National Party did not know even the basics of state craft. I don’t see any greatness even in J. R. Jayewardene, who is often talked of as a great statesman of vast experiences, said President Chandrika Kumaratunga inaugurating the People’s Alliances first election rally on Saturday evening in support of the party’s candidates for the North-Western Provincial Council elections scheduled for January 25. The election rally was held in the Vijayaba Maha Vidyalaya ground in the Maho town, in the Yapahuwa electorate, Kurunegala district. President Kumaratunga started her 70-minute speech by recalling the days when she gave leadership to struggles of the people in the Yapahuwa electorate against a water tax imposed on farmers by the UNP and to the Mothers’ Front which was crying out for justice to those who killed their children. President said that the Commissions appointed by her to investigate the thousands of disappearances have identified the persons who were responsible for the crimes. The reports of the Commissions have been sent to the Attorney General. The police are conducting investigations against persons named by the Commission. When investigations are complete the offenders will be brought to justice, she added. She charged that the UNP employed JVPers to ‘bump off’ political opponents. The UNP also protected the JVP killers. Vehicles belonging to police and several government departments were used for these killings, the President alleged. She asked the audience whether they could name those who led the killer gangs in the North-Western Province. A name was called by a few voices. "These fellows are now asking for your mandate to rule you. They are a shameless lot" she added. President said that one could pardon the sins if the sinners apologised. But the UNP is a party which cannot reform by pardoning their sins, she noted. She said the UNP failed to improve the condition of the roads of Yapahuwa electorate for 17 years. "But there is an estate that belonged to late President Ranasinghe Premadasa to which access and electricity had been provided at state cost. This estate is now managed by a company which carries the name Maharajah or something," she charged. "The entire area other than the location of this estate was hell. There were no proper roads. No electricity. Not a single irrigation tank had been restored," she said. She said the war was created and nurtured by the UNP. They harassed the innocent Tamils who wanted to live peacefully with the Sinhalese. Then they armed and funded the LTTE and made the war a festering sore on the body of the nation," she added. President said her government is now handling the war. "It is true we had suffered setbacks which is a natural phenomenon of all wars. But we have finished the war to a large extent. She said the armed forces have captured two-thirds of the land route from the South to the North. "Prabhakaran is employing children to replenish his defeating army. Two-thirds of the war has been won by the government," she claimed. President accused the UNP of abusing its unprecedented five-sixth mandate in 1977. With such a mandate, if the UNP acted as a responsible party it could have solved the country’s most burning problems. But instead they used their power to crush opposition, through a campaign of terror, she said. The UNP did not know the basics of state craft. Even the octogenarian J. R. Jayewardene who has been often spoken of as "most accomplished and experienced statement" didn’t have the great qualities in my view. The country’s economy suffered its heaviest blow when the country was ruled by President Wijetunga. He doled out billions of rupees from the Bank of Ceylon and the People’s Bank to party cronies, she alleged. Yapahuwa was an electorate where, during the UNP regime, large extents of land belonging to the state and the Land Reform Commission were plundered by people in power. The government will introduce new laws to take back these lands and give them back to the landless, she said. President said 900 police officers against whom strictures have been made by the Commissions which investigated the 36,000 disappearances would be brought to justice in due course. "Among them is a notorious police officer nicknamed "Gadaffi". "He is now serving somewhere in the North," she added. She said that she, as President of the country had never used the police to harass anyone. We will neither discriminate against any good police officers nor would we tolerate sabotage," she added. She said that the government was saving millions of rupees because there were no corrupt Ministers in her Cabinet unlike in the past. The President appealed to the people to return the People’s Alliance candidates at the forthcoming NWPC elections and thus to consolidate the people’s victory of 1994. Chief Ministerial candidate S. B. Navinna said he was confident the voters of Yapahuwa would never give the reins of power in the NWPC to the UNP, which was a corrupt party and which was responsible for the mass killings of the past. Amarasiri Dodangoda Minister of Rural Development and Vocational Training urged the voters of Yapahuwa to return the PA candidate in the January 25 NWPC election and help the government effort to change a constitution which has distorted the system of representation. Several other Ministers and MPs also spoke. Ban on footboard travel in buses from
today The ban on footboard travelling will be strictly enforced from today, the first working day of the new year,Traffic Police said. All private passenger buses as well as those belonging to the peoplised transport services islandwide will be liable to fines if they carry passengers on the footboard, City Traffic OIC Inspector M. K. Seneviratne warned yesterday. Not only the driver and conductor,but the passengers found travelling on the footboard in contravention of the law, will also be fined Rs. 250 each, police said. The primary objective of rigidly enforcing this ban is to save valuable lives, prevent unnecessary road accidents as far as possible, to avoid traffic congestion and to prevent bus drivers from stopping their vehicles in middle of the roads, OIC Seneviratne said. At present about 30 to 40 per cent of drivers halt their buses in unauthorised places to pick up commuters,he said. He pointed out that under the motor traffic regulations, it is compulsory to close the door of every bus after passengers board it. Under the law, it’s an offence to take passengers on the footboard and every bus must stop at a proper and authorised halting place and only then can the door be opened. All this will be strictly enforced from now on,OIC Seneviratne said. ASP (City Traffic) B.M.C.A. Mendis said that some people tend to forget laws when they are in abeyance. Last year alone ten footboard travellers were killed in nasty accidents in Colombo.The overall figure is much higher.It’s time to prevent further tragedies by enforcing the law for the safety of all concerned, he explained. ASP Mendis said that according to Article 7 of the United Nations Conference on Road Traffic held in Vienna, Austria in 1968,’road users shall avoid any behaviour likely to endanger or obstruct traffic or endanger persons or to cause damage to public and private property’. According to international rules between 10 to 15 passengers can go on standing inside a bus and that’s so even during peak hours, he added. From now on it will be strictly enforced that all drivers stop their buses only at halts and that they don’t take commuters on footboards.Every morning commuters are on a ‘suicidal rush’ to board a bus before it comes to a complete halt. ‘We advise all commuters to wait till the bus arrives and stops at a halting place.This will also help to ease traffic snarls,’ he said. Twelve LTTE suspects arrested at a lodge On a tip-off received intelligence sleuths attached to Kotahena police raided a lodge in the area and took into custody 12 LTTE suspects. Police found forged documents in their possession to indicate that they had been residing in Colombo over a year, though in fact they had arrived in the city only a few days back, police said. One suspect identified as Sivasankar is believed to have been the caretakers of vehicles belonging to the LTTE in Sudukuduirrippu in Mullaitivu. Another suspect identified as Nishandan had claimed under interrogation that, he had seen an aircraft and a helicopter grounded in Mullaitivu area a few months back. Saddam says Iraq will resist no-fly zones BAGHDAD, Jan 3 (Reuters) - President Saddam Hussein said Iraq will resist Western-imposed no-fly zones in the north and south of his country, the Iraqi News Agency reported on Sunday. It said Saddam told a cabinet meeting that the no-fly zones were "an aggressive operation which violates the will of the Arab people and the Iraqi people, which rejects them and is determined to resist them with all nobility and courage." The news agency did not say when the cabinet meeting took place. It said Saddam described the no-fly zones, set up by Western powers to limit Iraq’s military strength in its northern Kurdish and southern Shiite regions, as "flagrant and clear-cut violations of international laws, accords and norms, particularly the charter of the United Nations." Since the United States and Britain ended their punishing four-day campaign of air strikes against Iraq two weeks ago, Baghdad has repeatedly challenged the legitimacy of the no-fly zones, firing on Western planes overflying its territory and twice claiming to have shot down aircraft. Both sides have accused each other of opening fire first. Saddam said the United States was trying to placate Arab anger over its "colonialist aggression" by claiming to have acted in self-defence. India, Pakistan compare notes on nuclear
tests NEW DELHI — India and Pakistan, who went nuclear in May last year, exchanged lists of their nuclear installations and facilities. This is the first time that the two hostile South Asian neighbours exchanged such lists since they proclaimed themselves as nuclear weapon states by conducting underground nuclear tests nearly eight months ago. The decade-old agreement, signed on December 31, 1988, prohibits both countries from attacking each other’s nuclear installations and facilities. It entered into force on January 27, 1991. Under the agreement, the two countries are to inform each other on January 1 every calendar year of their respective nuclear installations and facilities to be cover by it. The Indian external affairs ministry announced that the two countries exchanged the lists through diplomatic channels, and simultaneously in New Delhi and Islamabad. The two neighbours, which had fought three bloody wars since they became independent countries in 1947, have been exchanging such lists for the past eight years. But today’s exchange assumes significance in the wake of fears expressed widely across the globe that the deadly nuclear weapons may not be safe in the hands of India and Pakistan because of their half-century dispute over Kashmir. Fundamental rights plea against police
dismissed Supreme Court last week dismissed a fundamental rights application against the police holding that it was apparent that there had been no undue delay on the part of the police in producing the two petitioners before a Magistrate. It also held that the petitioners had failed to establish the violation of their fundamental rights. The Bench comprised Justice Wijetunge, Justice Dheeraratne and Justice Weerasekera. V. Dhammika Liyanage and Ferry Nimesh Perera were the petitioners. Rohan Upasena, OIC Wellawatte Police and SSP Ananda Jayasekera were the respondents. The order stated that the requirement under Article 13(2) is that any person held in custody shall be brought before the judge of the nearest competent court according to the procedures established by law. In the circumstances, one cannot say that there was undue delay on the part of the police in producing the petitioners before the Magistrate. Even on their own version, the petitioners were taken into custody at the scene of the incident at 11.30 p.m. on December 6,1996. The notes of the police indicate that they were taken to be produced before the Magistrate around 11.30 the following morning, which is about 12 hours after the arrest. Section 37 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act provides that a person arrested without a warrant shall to not be detained in custody for a longer period than under all the circumstances of the case is reasonable and such period shall not exceed 24 hours, exclusive of the time necessary for the journey from the place of arrest to the Magistrate. This court has repeatedly expressed the view that a suspect should not be detained at a police station longer than is necessary in the circumstances, even though such detention may be within the 24 hour period permitted by law the order concluded. R. K. W. Goonesekera with N. Balalla instructed by Paul Ratnayake Associates appeared for the petitioners. Shibly Azeez (PC) with S. Srikantha and Miss Kadirgamanpulle instructed by E. S. Harischandra appeared for the respondent. S. Mahenthiram with Miss Poornima Somasekaram instructed by Mrs. N. Y. Kunaseelan appeared for the 2nd respondent. State Counsel Harsha Fernando appeared for the IGP and the Attorney General. All government schools islandwide,except those being used as G.C.E. (Ordinary Level) examination marking centres open today for the first term,official sources announced. Lakvision on internet from tomorrow Lakvision, a worldwide news service will be launched on the internet from January 5. The aim of this news service is to provide Sri Lankans world over information on events and happenings in Sri Lanka within a short space of time, Chairman of Lakvision World Wide News Service Rohan Weliwita told the Press last week. He said that there were many Sri Lankans dispersed all over the world, yet despite their migration they continue to show interest in their motherland. The Lakvision news service, the first of its kind in Sri Lanka hopes to enlighten these people on the political, social and economical changes occurring in our country. The service will also be a channel for non-Sri Lankans who show interest in the country or have connections with it. One of the aims of the service therefore will be to develop trade and commerce industry and promote tourism, he explained. The news service will be updated daily with new information. The website will consist of pictures, sound clips and audio and video if neccessary, providing the readers with a complete multimedia experience. Lakvision Worldwide News Service is a susidiary of Lakvision Multimedia City. It is also a BOI approved project. The directors include Saman Weeraman, Upali Gunesekara and Chitra Gamage. The project has also received much assistance from NITA, the vocational training authority, the Ruhunu Development Authority BBC and GTZ, a German televison corporation in the form of financial and technical assistance, equipment and other materials. Lakvision will also have computer training for school children ranging from year 1 to 12. Apart from this, a television training institute will provide training in script writing, camera, editing and other aspects of televising. The training provided here will be of a professional level, Mr. Weeraman said. He emphasised on the need for professional training in this field. Citing that it was time Sri Lanka began making its own productions and promoting its own programmes and films to the rest of the world, instead of just producing them for the local market, he said that they hoped to commence a script bank where people can write either in Sinhala or English. The BOI has given them approval to train hundred students per year. Lakvision has also imported equipment for a external broadcasting vehicle which will be used for football matches etc. Officials said that the vehicle will be assembled here to the standards of BTS in Germany. Anuruddha Weeraman who is still schooling handles the technical aspects of the service. He said that the site is made using standard HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) employing JavaScript programming and Virtual Reality modelling techniques where necessary. The site would also have a special page for guests who visit the site to make their suggestions. The total investment for the project has been Rs 60 million. An official said that they hoped to cover the North Western Provincial Council election results with sound via the information super-network, the Internet. The e-mail address of Lakvision is http:WWW.laknews.lk Educational reforms issued to school
principals not properly followed The directions issued to the school principals by the Department of Education, with regard to educational reforms are not followed properly, said the Director General of National Institute of Education, Prof. Lakshman Jayatilleke. Speaking at a press conference recently, to discuss the important changes in the education system after the reforms were introduced, he said that there are a number of complaints from parents that the entire weight of the expenses are loaded on them. This should be corrected to achieve the desired results, he pointed out. 1997 was named the "year of education reforms" to introduce required changes that were long due, he said. The National Institute of Education work towards development of school curriculum and the system of education in keeping with the needs of the country, Prof. Jayatilleke said. There are about 300 educational specialists and about 400 non academic staff employed in the Institute amounting to a 700 workforce altogether. The Institute serves the teachers at large and offers post graduate diplomas. There is a big demand from the teachers for the course, Prof. Jayatilleke observed. The Institute is expected to recruit 30 young graduates for the vacancies identified. They will be trained for a period of five years, Prof. Jayatilleke noted. For the past decade, more than 20,000 teachers had followed the 25 different courses in teacher training programme. In the overall education system, 25% of the teachers have been trained under this Institute, he said. There are centres set up in every educational division which provides distance mode of education to train all the teachers who lack training, he added. The introduction of a new syllabus to the teachers is important and to achieve this a teachers’ guide and a text book are issued. There are also extra material supplied such as work book, list of extra reading books, cassettes and videos to increase the output of teachers, Prof. Jayatilleke explained. Primary education has been identified as the most important stage of child education. With the introduction of the reforms education has changed into play activities and desk work. The child is more exposed to the environment than before and this would make them attracted to learning . The concept of socialization plays a main role in using child’s senses when he is contacted with the environment, Prof. Jayatilleke said. About 75% of the work related to the reforms has been completed in schools and with the material provided the parents get together and make the necessary changes required in the class rooms, he said. There would be much more learning resources and also learning would be richer and happier, he added. A large part of the funds have been allocated for the educational reforms. These funds are to be used in developing all the schools in the island. This would lessen the attraction to the urban schools and the congestion could be minimized, Prof. Jayatilleke said. Whenever a change is introduced, there is an increase in the activities to do with regard to preparation. "Take it as a challenge and work towards achieving it," he requested the heads of schools. Out of the children who are admitted to year 1, only 25- 30% have followed a pre school education. With the introduction of the new method it is hoped that this percentage would increase. In the Advance level education, there is a student record book and teacher- parent hand book introduced and it is expected that the standards of evaluation of the progress would be higher by using these. Steps have been taken to direct the children who do not possess a formal education , in the age groups of 5 to 14 to the relevant classes. This would need the co-operation of the school principals, Prof. Jayatilleke noted. Female tutor vanishes with jewellery Batapola — A home visiting tuitor woman who was in the habit of borrowing jewellery from the females in houses she visited and thereafter vanishing with the borrowed valuables was apprehended by the Ambalangoda police. She was caught subsequent to a similar trick she played on a resident of Nawaratnagoda, Balapitiya where she had borrowed jewellery worth Rs. 15,000. The woman was produced before the Balapitiya Magistrate, Mr. K. P. Fernando and allowed personal bail in Rs. 25,000 and cash bail of Rs. 7,500. The woman was one Malini Padma de Soysa who is said to be a resident in the Kelaniya area. She had been employed abroad for seven years according to police. "Telecom service providers in SL aim to
reach full Y2K compliance by June" Telecom service providers in Sri Lanka aim to reach full Y2K compliance by June this year, according to a report by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRCSL) that was handed over to the President by Director General of TRCSL, Prof. Rohan Samarajeeva recently. The report on the progress of the Y2K compliance in the telecommunications sector has expressed satisfaction with the work done by most of the telecom service providers to tackle the "millennium bug". The report was based on a questionnaire distributed to all service providers by TRCSL focusing on key issues. The TRCSL as the regulator is working with CINTEC to focus the attention of the operators of the telecommunications sector on the importance of tackling the millennium bug for a sector that is heavily dependent on information technology, the report states. The response from fixed-access operators, cellular mobile telephone operators, data communication operators, paging and the payphone operators to the questionnaire distributed by the TRCSL was satisfactory, the report states. The comprehensive questionnaire based on the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialised UN agency, to raise awareness among telecommunications operators and to promote Y2K compliance standards was sent to all telecom operators and other service providers. Based on the responses received from the operators, TRCSL prepared the first report which was submitted to the Council for Information Technology (CINTEC) in September 1998. Furthermore the Commission requested all operators to test their networks for Y2K readiness before 31st December 1998. Random audits to check on Y2K readiness of all the licensed telecommunication operators will be done by the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRCSL). TRCSL will continue to monitor and pressurize these two operators and the other operators to reach full compliance by June 1999, the report added. Master Mohamed Nihar of 3rd Division Mancholai, Small Kinniya, Trincomalee is suffering from heart disease — Tetralogy of fallots — and need surgery according to Consultant Cardio Thoracic Surgeon of the Sri Jayawardhanpura Hospital Dr. Aruna Kapuruge. The cost of disposables and drugs will be Rs. 125,000 recommended by Deputy Director of the Hospital Dr. L. U. C. Kumarage. The child’s father A. K. A. K. Thowfeek, a displaced person with three other school going children unemployed and undergoing much hardship even to support his family, is unable to afford this and appeals for public help to save his son. Donations can be made to the S/A No. 10032, 0160485 of Bank of Ceylon, Hulftsdorp Branch, Colombo 12. B’caloa varsity rag victim
readmitted to hospital First year student of the Eastern University, Batticaloa have decided to boycott classes following the ragging of a fellow undergrad by a group of senior students of the university. The rag victim Kadiresupillai Varuththasalam who admitted to Batticaloa base hospital last Tuesday in an unconscious state. He was subsequently discharged, but had to be readmitted to hospital with complaints of kidney trouble. The victim had told police that he could identify the students who ragged him severely. Hospital authorities said the victim student is out of danger. Police to implement anti - ragging laws Inspector General of Police Lucky Kodituwakku has issued a circular instructing officers-in-charge of all police stations islandwide to take steps to implement the regulations of the anti-ragging laws passed by Parliament last year. The IGP has directed the OICs to bring before the law those accused of ragging or causing any form of harassment at universities,government and private schools and ensure that they are dealt with in accordance with the new anti-ragging laws. The new legislation carries a jail term not exceeding 10 years and the payment of compensation to the victims. GALLE: W. K. Weerasekara, OIC, Crimes Branch of the Galle police and two other police officers arrested M. Ariyawathie (35) of Ward Street, Fort, Galle who was found with 100 milligrams of heroin at her residence. She was produced before the Galle Additional Magistrate Ruwan Fernando and remanded. Special development programme launched KANDY: The government has launched a special development programme for the country with the dawn of the new year, despite the ravaging war, for which the government is seeking a solution with the blessings of the Maha Sangha and support of the people, Justice, Constitutional Affairs and Communal, Integration Minister and Deputy Finance Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris told the Mahanayake Theras of Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters yesterday. Prof. Peiris called on the prelates for blessings for the new year. He was accompanied by Wijaya Wickramratna PC. Prof. Peiris earlier paid his homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic at the Sri Dalada Maligawa accompanied by Mrs. Peiris and their daughter. They were welcomed by the Diyawadana Nilame Niranjan Wijeyeratne. At the official Aramaya of the Malwatte Mahanayaka Ven. Rambukwella Sri Vipassi, head of the Malwatte Chapter after having conferred blessings on the minister expressed his (the prelates) wish to witness enhanced economic development of the country this year. Responding to the prelate Prof. Peiris said that on the directions of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, the government was optimistic that the economy of the country will improve with the launching of new strategies and development plans during the new year. Prof. Peiris said the government was also optimistic that a solution to the continuing war would be evolved so that the economic conditions of the country would see a new and bright horizon. The minister told the Mahanayake Thera of Malwatte that the government has allocated an unprecedented vote for education in the current year's budget. However, the Ven. Rambukwella Sri Vipassi Mahanayake Thera stressed the importance of a concrete and meaningful policy for the economic development of the country. Giving people a couple of rupees every month as social welfare will not augur well for the development of the country. There should be a planned development strategy for the entire country, Ven. Vipassi stressed. Special emphasis must be paid to the development of agriculture as agriculture is the base of the economy and social life of the people of Sri Lanka the prelate noted. Education should be reformed so that there would be no unemployment problems among the educated. Graduates will not be demonstrating or standing at junctions holding placards and posters, he pointed out. Public hearing on billing - second phase The Second Phase of the Public Hearing convened by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) on "Improvement of Subscriber Bills and Billing Related Disputes" will be held on 5th 6th and 7th January at the TRCSL conference hall from 9.30 a.m. to 12.00 noon and 2.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. The focus of the second phase of the public hearing is to find solutions to specific issues in the area of subscriber bills and billing operations, by eliciting the views of experts and persons with special knowledge pertaining to billing operations and billing related issues. In August 1998 TRCSL invited written submissions from the general public regarding Sri Lanka Telecom, Suntel and Lanka Bell companies' subscriber bills and billing disputes arising from them. Based on over 450 written submissions, TRCSL invited 42 persons to make oral submissions. Representatives of the three fixed access operators (Sri Lanka Telecom, Suntel and Lanka Bell) were also given an opportunity to make written and oral submissions and to respond to the representations by the public. Sri Lanka Telecom announced its interest to introduce itemized billing starting from 1999; Lanka Bell stated that it had started offering itemized bills for local calls effective from 1st October 1998; and Suntel promised to do billing in all three official languages. This public hearing was heard by a committee appointed by the TRCSL under section 12 of the Sri Lanka Telecommunications act No. 25 of 1991 as amended. Upon the successful completion of the first phase of the public hearing the committee decided to convene the second phase which is intended to cover broader issues regarding subscriber billing. On the 5th January 1999 there will be representatives from the Department of Inland Revenue to explain the implementation of GST and NSL levied on telephone subscribers. Several other experts in different areas of billing including the inventor of the telephone device will give evidence on the same day. In keeping with the objectives of the TRCSL as spelled out in the Sri Lanka Telecommunications act. the committee will make a decision regarding the above issues in the next month. For further details please contact: Mr. R.A.K. Ranawaka (01-671676). (Press Release) Three of four member gang caught BATAPOLA: All the four suspects who were absconding after looting of Rs. 55,880 worth of jewellery and cash and killing Handuwala Dewage Albert were rounded up by the Karandeniya police and produced before the Balapitiya Magistrate, K. P. Fernando and remanded. When Albert and his family members were watching television at night, four suspects had entered the house at Karandeniya and after threatening the inmates with firearms had robbed the jewellery and cash. Subsequently they had shot dead the bread-winner of the family. All the four offenders were absconding for some time. Of them three were arrested in connection with another looting case earlier and remanded. One of the three is supposed to be an army deserter. Karandeniya OIC, A. J. M. Jayasundara along with Sgts. Karunarathne and Wickremasiri are carrying out further investigations. They had recovered a part of the looted jewellery. Journalist needs urgent transplant A senior provincial correspondent Alex David has seriously fallen ill due to a renal failure. According to doctors, he has to undergo a kidney transplant very urgently. It has been estimated that a sum of Rs. 10 lakhs will be required for the operation, to be performed at Devaki Hospital, Madras, India. Mr. David is a familied man with meagre resources at his disposal. Anybody wishing to donate a kidney (B. Positive) may contact "Selvia', Palangathurai East, Kochchikade. Contributions may be credited to account No. 118829, Bank of Ceylon (Main Branch) Negombo. Officials alleged to be involved in timber rackets Matale - A vast amount of timber rackets has been reported in the Wasgamuwa and Dambulla reserves with timber officials allegedly involved in them. Due to these rackets there is a threat of destruction being caused to rare timber varieties such as milla and ebony. The jungle devastation is also causing severe damage to the environment as well. A haul of illicit timber valued at Rs. 200,000 suspected to have been cut down illicitly from the Wasgamuwa reserve has been taken into custody on two occasions during the last month by the Forest officials at Elahera. Vocational training for disabled by Saviya and WUSC GALLE: Saviya Development Foundation in collaboration with the WUSC (World University Service of (Canada) recently launched a vocational training program for 30 disabled persons from the Matara district at Kokmaduwa in Weligama. Mr. Chaminda Mendis, Director of WUSC said that such programs were earlier launched in the Batticaloa, Anuradhapura, Badulla, Polonnaruwa and Matara districts before with success. "The 30 disabled persons who were selected will undergo training in the fields of radiology, beauty culture, handicraft, reparing of sewing machines and televisions and once they became skilled in those fields they would certainly become the most wanted people in society", he said. Mr. W. L. D. Gunatilleke, Regional Manager of Bank of Ceylon appreciating the efforts of the WUSC said this type of programs would benefit the disabled in the Matara district and also commended the services rendered by the "Saviya" in this connection. Mrs. C. Atukorala proposed the vote of thanks. Angunakolapelessa - An insane man committed suicide by swallowing poison. This was revealed at the inquest held by Hambantota Inquirer into Sudden Deaths W. K. Wijedasa into the death of H. K. Keerthirathne (29) of 29th Post, Kataragama. RPC Rupasinghe of Hambantota police led evidence. A verdict of suicide was recorded. SI transferred after police-Muslim clash PANADURA: Police top brass led by Jayantha Wickremaratne, DIG Western Range who are conducting investigations into the recent clash between the police and Muslims in Sarikkamulla, Panadura, have transferred a Sub-Inspector of the Keselwatta police. The move perhaps was to satisfy the wishes of the Muslims who wanted him out. Three people received gun shot injuries and had to be despatched to hospitals, two were in a critical condition, when police opened fire at an unruly crowd who surrounded the police station and attacked it causing injury to a police assistant. This is a sequel to an incident that took place earlier when a van after having knocked down two Muslim girls aged 10 and 8 proceeded non-stop to the nearby Keselwatta police station, perhaps fearing a mob attack. Whereupon a large crowd of Muslims had followed the van to the police station premises where an argument between the gang and a police officer resulted. By that time thousands of others rushed in and ran berserk. Immediately, a reinforcement from the Panadura police division rushed to the scene and used tear gas to disperse the crowd. But as the situation got out of control the police opened fire injuring three people. Later in the day the police riot squad from Colombo and the army were rushed in to control the situation. In addition to the army personnel, armed policemen from Mt. Lavinia, Moratuwa, Kalutara and from all stations in the Panadura division are now patrolling the area to prevent any breach of peace. |
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