NWP-PC allocates Rs. 23 mn for dengue eradication

A sum of Rs. 23 million has been allocated by the North Western Provincial Council (NWP-PC) to wipe out dengue mosquitoes from the NWP within the next few weeks.

Accordingly, NWP Chief Minister Dharmasiri Dassanayake has currently deployed 400 family health nurses and 75 PHIs to educate the school community of the NWP on dengue eradication, with effect from November 13.

Many parents and residents of both Kurunegala and Puttalam districts have presently complained to the Education Ministry that many school premises, government offices premises and business premises contain mosquito breeding grounds and that is why the dengue fever cannot be eradicated in and around the NWP.

“It has been found that certain school heads still don’t take any positive steps in eradicating mosquito-breeding grounds within their own school premises and hence, students and teachers of such schools continue to become victims of dengue fever.

This is an unpardonable offence on the part of the school heads,” Kurunegala Senior Education Director W. M. Balasooriya, speaking at a meeting of school principals of the Kurunegala district held at Youth Training Centre in Bingiriya, Kurunegala on Sunday.

“Taking this plight into account, Kurunegala District UNP Parliamentarian and Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam has decided to issue instructions to Provincial and Zonal Education Directors to take steps to file Courts cases against such irresponsible and errant school principals and to impose fines on them. This decision has been taken by the Education Ministry to save both students and teachers of the country from dengue fever, which is now spreading fast in and around all provinces.

Education Ministry Secretary Sunil Hettiarachchi has already been instructed by Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam in this regard,” he added.