Indian High Commissioner visits eastern province
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 March 2006, 11:31 GMT]
Ms Nirupama Rao, Indian High Commissioner in Colombo Tuesday morning visited the South Eastern University, which is located in Oluvil in Amparai district and discussed with the Vice Chancellor and the academic staff regarding its needs and future development. Sri Lankan Minister of Irrigation, Mr.Anwer Ismail, accompanied her. Ms Nirupama Rao arrived in Batticaloa Monday morning on a two-day tour in the eastern province by a special helicopter of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF).
She was told of the urgent need of setting up of a Faculty for Agriculture and related Technology and enhancing facilities of the Agriculture Research Centre, university sources said. University officials made a request to the Indian envoy to take steps to provide scholarships to undergrads and academicians to further their knowledge in India, the sources said. Ms Nirupama Rao then visited the Addalaichchenai Cultural Museum. She was later taken to Periyakalappu where hundreds of acres of land suitable for paddy cultivation under flooded with drainage water through out the year. Minister Mr.Anwer Ismail made a plea to the Indian envoy to provide assistance to make these lands cultivable. During her first day visit, she went by road to Eastern University, which is located in Vantharumoolai and explored the possibility of increasing the number of faculties. She attended a conference chaired by Professor S.Ravindranath and attended by officials of the Sri Lanka Police and Sri
Lanka Army and varsity officials. The discussion centered on providing more facilities to Swami Vipulananda Fine Arts College, which is affiliated, to the Eastern University. She thereafter held discussion with Trincomalee-Batticaloa Bishop Rt.Rev.Dr.Kingsely Swampillai regarding the peace process and the ground situation in the district. Sri Lanka Army and Police officials also attended the discussion which was held at the Bishop's House. She later met Rev.Fr.Miller, President of the Batticaloa District Peace Committee at
Batticaloa St.Michael College, sources said. Later on Monday Ms Nirupama Rao held discussion with the head and members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in Batticaloa, which took place in the office of the SLMM, which is located along the lagoon. She later went to Kattankudy and met Mr.M.L.A.M.Hisbullah and several leaders of the Sri
Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC).
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