lankan labour: The Wages Board of the Sri Lankan labour department is promoting child labour, if a government notice published in Sri Lankan newspaper is to be believed. The notice, which relates the wages of labourers who come under the Wages Board Act, was taken out under the name of labour commissioner Mahinda Madihahewa. The notice specifies the wages of male and female workers between 14 to 16 years of age working in the cocoa, cardamom and pepper sectors as Rs 163.22 a day while in coconut cultivation it is Rs 144.50 a day. Meanwhile, under Sri Lanka law all persons less than 18 years are considered children and child labour is banned in the country.

worthiness test: The Road Safety and Transport Authority officials of Bhutan have said they will privatise the periodic road-worthiness test for vehicles just like vehicle emission tests. The officials test private vehicles annually, and buses, cabs and trucks bi-annually, for their lights, ignition, documents and body conditions. Passenger and heavy commercial vehicles are also checked for brakes, tyres, steering wheel and engine condition. "It is a tedious manual task. The government should privatise the test or provide professional guidance or resources to equip us,' said regional transport officer Loknath Sharma.