President reviews development of Ratnapura District
Thursday, 17 July 2014 00:36
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President Mahinda Rajapaksa reviewing the development of Ratnapura District yesterday vowed not to let anyone to disrupt the country’s development process for any political gains.
The President emphasized that the national development programme should be jointly implemented by the political authority and the public officials on proper plans without working high handedly, in order to provide utmost benefits to the public.
He asked all the state officials to set aside differences and work together with the political authority.
The President made these remarks at the special district development committee meeting held in Ratnapura District Secretariat yesterday to discuss the development needs of the district.
Reviewing the development priorities, President Rajapaksa instructed the officials to explore the possibility of extending the Kelani Weli railway line up to Ratnapura in parallel to the proposed Colombo-Ratnapura Ruwan Pura Expressway project which is to begin in September.
While expressing satisfaction at the progress achieved in the district’s education sector, the President noted that funds have been allocated from this year’s budget to construct 50,000 houses for estate families in the district.
Focusing attention on the disastrous weather people in the district experienced in the past few days, the President instructed Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera to take immediate measures to grant relief to the affected families. He also instructed the officials to provide concessions to the people who have been affected by the Eheliyagoda Urban Development project.
During the meeting the gem industry, the cultivation of flowers for export, the tourism industry and the Kithul industry in the District were also discussed at length.
President Rajapaksa also declared open the newly built divisional secretariat office in Ratnapura, equipped with all modern facilities and built at a cost of Rs. 8 million.
