Will face any challenge to protect national sovereignty: Basil
Saturday, 8 March 2014 00:01
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Rs. 2.9 b allocated for Ratnapura development
Achieving a stable peace has made it possible for the Government to secure Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, independence and food security thus strengthening its resolve to face any challenge, according to Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa.
He was addressing meeting held at the Seevali Stadium, Ratnapura on recently to brief the public on the National Budget 2014 for National Development under the theme, “Sustainable Development through Public Participation.” Nearly 7000 people including Sabaragamuwa Chief Minister Maheepala Herath attended the event which is the biggest public meeting held in the Ratnapura District in recent years.
The briefing will cover 14 districts in order to make the public aware of the need to reach development targets for building a new Sri Lanka and make her a middle-income country among nations with the participation of community leaders, people’s representatives and government officials to in accordance with the Mahinda Chinthana Vision of improving the lot of the individual, family, village and province. At Ratnapura Minister Rajapaksa handed over Rs. 2.9 billion allocated for the District’s development during 2014. The aim is activate the house-to-house and village-to-village national development program under which come Gama Neguma, One-Task for-One-Village, improving sanitary facilities in rural schools, raising living standards, re-cultivating fallow paddy lands and repairing small irrigation canals, building weekly fairs, maternity clinics and bus halts.
The program will develop infrastructure facilities in the eight electorates of Ratnapura, Eheliyagoda, Rakwana, Nivithigala, Kalawana, Balangoda, Kolonna and Pelmadulla in the Ratnapura District and improving the education and the material and spiritual quality of the rural population in these areas.
Speaking further the Minister said that since the British rulers had totally destroyed Sri Lanka’s agricultural economy a number of programs had to be launched to revive the island’s agriculture. Consequently they drew more foreign investment, more tourists and increased the per capital income of citizens.
But a few people who cannot stomach this development were spreading canards about Sri Lanka although the country is ever ready to meet their threats and intimidations.
Ratnapura District Secretary Sunil Kannangara delivered the welcome speech. Among the others who attended were Sabaragamuwa Governor W.J.M. Lokubandara, Chief Minister Maheepala Herath, Ministers John Seneviratne and Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Deputy Ministers Premalal Jayasekera, Parliamentarians Venerable Ellawala Medhananda, Ranjit Soysa, Janaka Wakkkumbura and Sonny Rohana, Government Officials and community leaders.
