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P. D. A. S. Gunasekera, Ratnapura group corr.

During the recent flood and landslide disaster all parties, persons and social agencies worked as one, putting their shoulders to the wheel irrespective of 'colour or party'. It enabled the grave situation to be brought under control effectively and speedily. But the crux of the matter still remained in the Sabaragamuwa, with 3300 houses completely destroyed and estimated 9,000 partially damaged, awaiting immediate restoration said President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga at Ratnapura recently.

The President was addressing a large gathering following the ceremonial opening of the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Ayurveda Hospital's New building complex in the Ratnapura New Town.

However all schools except two had been restored with construction of the Sivali Vidyalaya new building complex under way with Rs. 6 million released from the President's Fund, she said.

The new Ayurveda Hospital building was built at a cost of Rs. 52 million, the President said.

The indoor stadium the only one of its kind outside Colombo commissioned by the President on that day had cost over Rs. 20 million, she added, remembering a long time of former Ministers including, G. V. Punchinilame, Nanda Mathew and Pilapitiya, who were a party to the project in its early stages.

1237 persons affected by floods and landslides received Monetary aid amounting to Rs. 10,000 each from the President's Fund that day, leaving those who suffered partial damage to their houses to collect their due from the Divisional Secretaries of the area with minimum of delay.

President Kumaratunga said that the President's Fund and the Government coffers belonged to the people and should and would be used to ameliorate the sufferings of the people specially in times. Rs. 22.5 million has been released from the President's Fund as a temporary measure with more to follow in due course. What they received, at the ceremony was only for the ground preparation operations of their houses completely destroyed. The money for building the houses would follow suit.

The President said the Sabaragamuwa province was a region prone to periodical floods and landslides over the years. Hence the need for a disaster prevention and instigation 'mechanism' for the safety of the life and limb of the persons and the property. Steps had therefore been taken to set up a disaster management and prevention committee.

The Presidential Task Force had already taken steps to draw up a comprehensive development programme covering Health and Education with the assistance of both the Government and the professionals for the greater good of the country and the people.

Accordingly every district would be provided with a fully equipped District Hospital and an Ayurveda Hospital, the President said. The present project was, a case in point.

"In 1994, a programme was launched for the development of education of the country, building schools and promoting science and computer education. But those programmes had been weakened for want of sufficient allocations. The unhealthy practice of one regime neglecting what the preceding regime started arrested the development process", she pin-pointed.

"The problems of Sri Lanka had increasingly become confused and confounded. The crime wave was on the increase murder, rape and the gun-culture have become rampant. That situation should without delay be checked to save the Buddhist way of life and decent living from the danger of complete collapse, the President warned.

She stressed the importance of providing education for the development of a people dedicated to a 'noble-life'.

The President paid a tribute to the Minister of Small Holdings Susantha Punchinilame for the participation in the ceremony. Co-operation was the key-note of progress. "Let us all get together for the benefit of the people and for prosperity, she suggested.

The Minister of Small Holdings and Development, Susantha Punchinilame said that he received the President, in his capacity as a Minister of State with great delight and an open heart.

The President and the Chief Minister did a yeoman service to the people affected by the recent disaster providing timely assistance in both money and kind. He said he was at the ceremony that day on the instruction of the Prime Minister and the Assistant Leader of the UNP Karu Jayasuriya.

He requested the President to take steps to make the New Town the administrative centre and the old town the Commercial Centre of Ratnapura, 'the fond-hope and aspiration' of his father who designed the New Town.Sabaragamuwa Governor, Saliya Mathew, Chief Minister Saliya Ellawala, MP and former Chief Minister Athauda Seneviratne, and District MP Asoka Jayawardena, SPC Minister A. B. Weerasekera and several others also spoke.

District MPs Pavithra Wanniarachchi and W. D. J. Seneviratne also participated at the event.

The ceremonial function concluded with the distribution of cheques to the recipients by the President.

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