The Bak Maha Ulela of employees of the Presidential Secretariat was held at the Police Field Force Headquarters ground, Bambabalapitiya, on Saturday with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa in attendance. Here President Rajapaksa arrives for the ceremony. Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Chief of President’s staff Gamini Senerath, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Tri Forces Commanders, Inspector General of Police and Director General of the Civil Defence Department were also present. Above: The Avurudu Kumari contest was one of the highlights at the ceremony. Pictures by Sudath Silva

Wheels move to minimise accidents

The Motor Traffic Department is set to unveil several new measures to minimise road accidents in the country. These include the removal of vehicles from roads which are unsuitable for use, a point system to evaluate traffic offences, improved quality control tests on vehicles, awareness programmes for drivers and pedestrians and better training at driving schools.

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Lanka assures Maldives of continued support

External Affairs Minister Prof G L Peiris assured Sri Lanka’s continued support to the Maldives for its progress. The minister in Male on a four-day official visit, during bilateral talks with his Maldivian counterpart Dr Abdul Samad Abdullah, noted the exemplary relations between the two countries and said Sri Lanka assures continued assistance and cooperation to the Maldives, a statement from the Maldivian Foreign Ministry said.

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Now, plastic crates a must to transport tea leaves

The government has decided to make plastic crates mandatory to transport tea leaves, Plantation Industries Deputy Minister Earl Gunasekara said. This decision was taken to ensure the quality of tea, he said. The deputy minister said certain regulations have already been implemented in this regard. “It will be made mandatory to use plastic crates or any other variety of crates approved by the Sri Lanka Tea Board to transport tea leaves in the coming months,” he said.

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Statue vandalism in Batticaloa:

Three Police teams begin probe

The Police has been instructed to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation into the vandalism of several statues in Batticaloa, the External Affairs Ministry said yesterday. Several statues of prominent persons, including that of Mahatma Gandhi, in Batticaloa town, were found damaged on Friday morning.

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