Colombo (LNW): The Ministry of Education has implemented initiatives to distribute gift vouchers for shoes to a total of 747,093 students across selected schools, revealed Education Minister Susil Premajayantha.

The Minister emphasised that these vouchers will be specifically allocated to students, monks, and nuns attending selected schools, as well as those in Pirivens who are facing significant challenges, particularly in rural areas.

The project has incurred an expenditure of Rs. 2,200 million, with each voucher valued at Rs. 3000, signaling a substantial investment in providing essential footwear for deserving recipients.

To facilitate the distribution process, eligible students will be able to redeem the vouchers at stores registered with the Education Ministry. Clear instructions have been issued to the relevant Provincial, Zonal, and Divisional Education Authorities to disseminate information to students and their parents, with a circular also being issued for wider communication.

Minister Premajayantha expressed the Ministry’s ambition to extend the reach of this initiative, aiming to include one million students as eligible recipients for shoe vouchers in the coming year.

The distribution of vouchers is scheduled to take place between December 4 and December 27, 2023, with the Education Ministry overseeing the logistics of this commendable endeavour.

Colombo (LNW): Power supply has been disconnected for approximately 500,000 electricity consumers in recent days due to non-payment of bills, and red notices have been issued to approximately 5 million individuals, Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa disclosed in Parliament today (04).

During a parliamentary session, the Opposition Leader expressed his concern that his inquiry made under Standing Orders 27/2 regarding the perceived unjustifiable escalation in electricity tariffs has yet to receive a response.

Consequently, he asserted that his parliamentary privileges have been violated.

Premadasa emphasised that he had raised the issue of the impracticality of tariff hikes, particularly when the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is reporting substantial profits, primarily from the optimal generation of hydropower.

In response to these concerns, Leader of the House Susil Premajayantha assured that measures would be promptly taken to address the inquiry raised by the Opposition Leader.

Colombo (LNW): Sports Minister Harin Fernando has steps towards enhancing the sports landscape by appointing members to the National Sports Council.

The council, which will be led by Dr. Maiya Gunasekara, is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of sports in the country.

The newly appointed members of the National Sports Council are expected to bring diverse perspectives and skills to the table, ensuring a well-rounded approach to addressing the various challenges and opportunities within the sports sector.

As the council gears up to assume its responsibilities, the nation eagerly anticipates the positive impact it will have on sports development. From grassroots initiatives to high-performance programmes, the National Sports Council is set to chart a course towards sustained success.

Colombo (LNW): The cyclonic storm “MICHAUNG” over Southwest Bay of Bengal was located near latitude 13.2°N and longitude 81.2°E, at 0530hrs of 04, December and about 395 km northeast of Jaffna, and is expected to intensify further and move northwestward away from Sri Lanka towards Tamil Nadu coast of India. Thereafter, it may move northwards and cross South Andhra Pradesh coasts around December 5, 2023.

The above warning was issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology, addressing the naval and fisherman communities in the deep and shallow sea areas in the southwest Bay of Bengal.

Naval and fishing communities are urged not to venture into the sea areas off the coast extending from Mannar to Trincomalee via Kankasanturai and in to the marked areas for the next 24 hours.

Those who are out at aforementioned sea regions are advised to return to coasts or be moved to safer areas immediately.

Fishing and naval community are also requested to be attentive to future forecasts issued by the Dept in this regard, the statement added.

Meanwhile, prevailing showery condition over the South-western parts of the island is likely to continue further due to the indirect effect of the cyclone, the Centre noted in a separate advisory notice.

Heavy showers above 100 mm are likely to occur at some places in Western, Central, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Northern and North-Western provinces.

Colombo (LNW): In a stunning turn of events, Sri Lanka has witnessed an astounding surge of dengue, with an exact tally of 1,000 new cases emerging within 72 hours.

This means a staggering average of 300 cases daily, propelling the nation back into a distressing scenario where an average of 250 cases per day has become the norm, emphasised Director of the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU), Dr. Nalin Ariyaratne.

He added the ominous forecast of a further spike in dengue cases, attributing it to the persistent rainy conditions. In a plea to the public, Dr. Ariyaratne urged the public to take immediate action by maintaining cleanliness in their surroundings and eliminating potential mosquito breeding grounds to thwart the impending dengue spread.

As of December 04, the cumulative count for 2023 has surged to a staggering 77,487 cases, painting a vivid picture of the escalating crisis. Colombo district leads the grim statistics with 16,363 cases, while the Western Province emerges as the hardest-hit region, reporting 36,266 cases, representing an alarming 47 percent of the total reported cases.

The magnitude of these numbers serves as a stark reminder of the pressing need for collective and urgent action to combat this escalating health crisis, health experts warned.

Colombo (LNW): Education Minister Susil Premajayantha, has officially declared that the GCE Ordinary and Advanced Level Examinations for the year 2024 are slated to take place in the upcoming year.

In a statement, the Minister confirmed that the previously delayed GCE Advanced Level Examination for 2023 is rescheduled to be conducted in January 2024 according to the original timetable.

However, in a strategic move, the Minister conveyed that the GCE Ordinary Level Examination for the year 2024 is set to be held in mid-May of the following year.

There is a necessity for a three-month interval between each examination to ensure the smooth execution of paper marking processes, the Minister emphasised, adding that that by the year 2025, the government will successfully establish a normalised system for conducting examinations within the specified academic years.