Third oldest Lions Club

The Lions Club of Kandy is the third oldest in the country, having received its Charter in 1964. The Club celebrated its 34th Anniversary and Charter Meeting on January 23. Only five of the 22 original members of 1964 are still in the Club - Dr. Nihal Karunaratne, Chandra Wijenaike, Sugathi Gunasekera, David Liyanage and Kirthie Abeywickerma. Present membership is 49 and Dr. Nihal Karunaratne is President for the third time.

The Club is now in the process of providing ten toilets for the Municipal Council at Guhangoda and Ginihiriyawa and decided at the meeting to fit a Rs. 29,000 worth refrigerator to the Cancer Home, Kandy.

Twenty years of financial excellence

Sinhaputhra Finance Ltd. celebrated its 20th anniversary on February 14. The Company, founded in 1978 by Tissa Wijeyeratne, commenced business on February 14, 1979 under the name and style of Sinhaputhra Agricultural and Industrial Finance Ltd. Its present name was adopted after changes in its operational purpose.

With paid-up share capital of Rs. 24.5 million and a fixed deposit portfolio of Rs. 374.7 million, the Company's total assets now stand at Rs. 608.3 million.

The 20th year celebrations commenced with religious observances and will be followed by a phased series of events that will make it a year round celebration.

As a licensed finance company registered with and functioning according to the directives of the Central Bank, it has played a vital role in the transport industry as well as in real estate. Its range of activities include hire purchase of vehicles and consumer durables, Leasing, Real-estate Development, Short-term loans and stock market operations. The Board comprises Kithsiri Wanigasekera, Chairman and MD who is joined at the helm by Ravana Wijeyerane, Joint MD. Others are Parakrama Keppetipola, K. H. K. Wijayadasa, Chinta Ballale, Mohan Weerakoon and Dr. Cuda Wijeyeratne.

Naming Kandy Lake's trees

The beautiful trees around the Kandy Lake are to be named once again for the third time, because, as Dr. Nihal Karunaratne tells me, each time boards were placed, they were either defaced or torn down. Nihal has made the naming a Lions Club Project this time and says that the Municipal Council and Police should ensure that the boards remain.

"Tourists and students have been most appreciative of the fact that each tree has been identified and named. There is educational value in this and I hope our efforts will not be in vain," he said.

This time, the boards, which have been beautifully crafted, will be screwed into the trunks of each tree.

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