NEWS IN BRIEF

Euro 17m Austrian loan for hospital

Austria has offered a credit of Euro 17,348,240 for the supply and installation of medical and electro mechanical equipment for the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Specialised Children’s Hospital. The hospital is located at Peradeniya and has the capacity of 200 beds to provide upto-date medical facilities to the children in the central and adjoining provinces. The construction of the hospital building is being carried out with the government funding and the proceeds of the loan will be utilised to procure equipment for the hospital. With the establishment of this hospital the specialised treatment, which is now available only in Colombo, could be provided at this hospital to the children in the central region. (Island)

ADB erosion grant

Stabilizing 52 km of the coastal area of the island as a solution to the problem of sea erosion has been undertaken by the Ministry of Fisheries and is been implemented with a soft loan of Rs. 24 mn by the Asian Development Bank. Initiated by the Coastal Resources Management Project (GRMP) of the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources, it is expected to help the country's economy by boosting tourism and fishing. This project, which started in March this year, is expected to be completed in 27 months. Erecting the revetments, offshore breakwater, pumping of sand to the coast from deep sea are activities undertaken to minimise sea erosion. (Daily Mirror)

Indian giants open plants

Indian manufacturing giants Tata, Hero and Godrej will establish manufacturing plants in Sri Lanka this year catering to the Sri Lankan market and also for re-export to India and worldwide markets. Infosys- one of the biggest Information Technology companies based in Bangalore, employing 16,000 engineers, will also recruit Sri Lankan IT specialists for its operations in the Mauritius soon. The assurance from these manufacturers and have been given to Industries Minister Rohitha Bogollagama during an official visit on an invitation of the Indian Government late last month. Tata has agreed to establish a plant in Sri Lanka to manufacture light engineering products and motor accessories. The Hero Group will establish a facility to manufacture cycles and motor cycles. (Daily News)

Tourism campaign in Japan

Sri Lanka Tourism is exploring the possibility of launching a destination promotion in the Land of the Cherry Blossoms to coincide with the massive donor parley scheduled to be held in Tokyo this June. The move is aimed at capitalising on the publicity that will be generated as resulted of the conference, which will bring together donor nations. "Japan is a huge market and our aim is to hold a promotional drive concurrently with the conference to showcase Sri Lanka's diverse tourism product," Sri Lanka Tourist Board Chairman Paddy Withana said. He said that direct air links from Japan, coupled with the country's lure as a safe place for travel are major incentives for Sri Lanka which is already gaining interest among the Japanese travellers, a high end market, known for their penchant for the sun, sea and golf. (Daily News)

Second international airport

Sri Lanka’s second international airport will be established in the Hambantota district, Southern Regional Development Minister Ananda Kularatne, told journalists. The inspection tour was organised on the instructions of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Minister said. "Two sites from Hambantota and Monaragala have been selected for the initial studies." "We have plans to develop and establish domestic airports countrywide and we are also contemplating the possibility of converting the Bandaranaike International Airport into a dual purpose airport both for international and domestic airlines so that the tourists and migrant workers returning home can access connecting flights from there," he added. (Daily News)

Families of disappeared live in poverty

Families and relatives of 184 Tamils who disappeared after being arrested by Sri Lanka security forces between 1996 and 1998 while the military occupied Kilinochchi, have not been given assistance by any Government authorities or any Humanitarian organizations and are living in abject poverty, reported TamilNet Saturday. Many of the disappeared are alleged to have been murdered by the Security forces while in detention. Many of the killed are family bread winners and their loss have made their families destitute. Many children do not attend to school and work to assist their family. Organizations have recorded their details several times but help has not been forthcoming. Skeletons belonging to 71 persons have been recovered from wells, and sewage pits. The remains were mostly too disfigured to be identified. (TamilNet)

Court remands for LTTE cadres

Trincomalee Magistrate Mr.S.Thiagendran Friday ordered remand till May 22 for two Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suspects who were produced on a report under Explosives and Weapons Ordinance by the Trincomalee Harbour Police, legal sources said. Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) soldiers arrested three suspected LTTE cadres in Trincomalee Sea Thursday morning in a boat, which allegedly contained forty kg of explosives. Sea monitors of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee rushed to the scene and conducted inquiry. A suspect and the boat were released. Two suspects Nagaratnam Prakash and Martin Romuleo were handed over to the Trincomalee Harbour Police. The Harbour Police produced the two suspects before the Trincomalee Magistrate Friday afternoon. (TamilNet)

Pallai Co-op lost millions

During the war in 2000, the Pallai Multi-Purpose Co-operative Union (MPCU) had losses amounting to Rs. 11.2 million, and the damage to MPCU's headquarters, its wholesale store, associated rural bank and branch stores resulted in an additional loss of Rs. 10.9 million on consumer goods, buildings and furniture, sources said. The MPCU's branches in Muhamalai and Kilali cannot operate as they fall under the High Security Zone of the Sri Lanka Army. (TamilNet)

Paramilitary operative injured

An operative of the paramilitary, Razeek Group, was wounded in a grenade attack Monday night in Batticaloa town, Police said. The wounded operative is employed as a soldier of the Sri Lanka army's National Guard (SLNG). Unidentified persons who lobbed the grenade at the soldier had got away, Police said. The Razeek Group worked with the SLA in operations against the Liberation Tigers in the eastern district. The soldier, identified as Patkunam Ramesh, was at his home in Puthur when he was attacked. The Razeek Group was one of the most feared paramilitaries that operated under the SLA in the east. The group was co-opted into the SLNG following the death of Razeek (M Ganeshakumar), the group's leader. (TamilNet)

Shooting in Ampara injures couple

Anthony Thevarajah (40) and his wife Francis Catherina of Sorikalmunai village near Kalmunai in Ampara district were injured when unknown assailants fired at them around 9pm Sunday, security sources said. The couple have been admitted to the Batticaloa teaching hospital and are undergoing surgery. Thevarajah is from Kalmunai and was formerly a member of the Eelam People Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF). (TamilNet)