Sharp increase in cannabis users

The growing number of cannabis users, has now resorted to trafficking the drug illicitly using public transport to avoid arrest, a spokesperson for the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board said.

“This trend has been seen in recent years as the number of cannabis users has increased islandwide”, Assistant Director NDDCB Ms Badhrani Senanayake, told the Sunday Observer.

Her recently released report on the drug situation in Sri Lanka, says that compared to 2011, the number of cannabis related arrests increased by 11 percent last year, with the prevalence rate of 184 per 100,000 population in 2012.

The Western Province leads the number of cannabis arrests by a significant margin. According to statistics quoted in the report, 61 percent of the cases were from the Western Province, followed by 11 percent in the Southern Province and 6 percent in the Eastern Province. District-wise 50 percent of cases were from Colombo, followed by 7 percent from Gampaha and 6 percent from Hambantota.

Cannabis is reportedly the only plant (drug) cultivated illicitly in Sri Lanka on an estimated 500 hectares, mostly in the dry zones of the Eastern province and southern province.

Recently seized cannabis show that modern agriculture methods are being used. “A more potent variety of cannabis with more flowering tops is now becoming popular especially among young users”, the NDDCB spokesperson said, adding that the growing incidence of cannabis users in Sri Lanka was noted from 2008”. “Cannabis constitutes a major problem in Sri Lanka”, she said.

She said that heroin users were now shifting from Colombo to remote towns and rural areas. The use of opium however, was low with only three arrests since this drug is given only to ayurvedic physicians in government hospitals for medicinal use, the spokesman said.

President Rajapaksa to attend funeral

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is expected to attend South African president Nelson Mandela's funeral next week.

The President accompanied by External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris will travel to South Africa on their return from a pre-planned official trip to Kenya from December 10 to 14, official sources said.

According to foreign media reports the revered South African leader who died at the age of 95 is expected to be buried on December 15, in the hilly areas of Qunu where he grew up.

South Africa's Government announced that Nelson Mandela's funeral cortege will travel through the streets of the capital Pretoria on three consecutive days for people to pay their last respects.

The Government has planned a ten day remembrance in honour of the departed leader before the funeral on Sunday.

According to reports South Africa is readying itself to receive a flood of world leaders for the funeral and among those expected to be present are US President Barak Obama, the US first lady Michelle Obama and former first couple George W Bush and Laura Bush.

South Africa is being inundated with condolence messages from across the world since the death of the elder statesman Mandela it was announced on Thursday. He died at his home in Johannesburg after suffering from a lung infection.

‘TNA continues anti-govt propaganda’

The TNA is continuing its anti-government propaganda by taking advantage of its status as the people’s representatives, disregarding the fact that it was President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s commitment to restore democracy in the terrorism-torn province that helped hold the election, Minister of Mass Media and Information Keheliya Rambukwella told the Sunday Observer.

It is evident that the party has not changed its pro-LTTE political approach and ideologies and took every opportunity to tarnish the Government’s image both here and abroad along with the pro-LTTE diaspora groups, he said.

TNA MP S. Sritharan told Parliament recently that the LTTE's ‘Heroes’ Day’ should be commemorated. During a recent meeting at Trincomalee with a US delegation, party leader R.Sambanthan had alleged that the government is not ‘interested in reconciliation’ and Chief Minister C.V.Wigneswaran had threatened to violate the law if he was prevented from entering specific security areas in the North.

All these moves prove that they had not deviated from the stand of the now defunct LTTE, he said. In spite of all such threats, law and order will be strictly maintained in the country, the Minister said.

Govt spends Rs. 2.7 b on 37 million school text books

The Government has spent Rs.2.7 billion to print 37 million school text books to be distributed among students in state schools next year.

Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena said printing and distributing school text books for over 10,000 schools in all nine provinces including the North and the East by December was a complex process.

The Education Ministry has printed 37 million text books of 437 different types in Sinhala, Tamil and English. It will be distributed among 4.2 million students in state and semi-government schools and pirivenas.

The national ceremony to distribute school text books was held at the Magammana Maha Vidyalaya, Homagama under the patronage of Minister Gunawardena recently.

Senior Minister A.H.M.Fowzie, Education Deputy Minister Mohanlal Grero and senior education officials were also present.