Employees live wire of ANCL - Media Minister
 

Lakmini Rodrigo

COLOMBO: Workers are the livewire of the ANCL, said Information and Media Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa yesterday, presiding over a felicitation ceremony for ANCL workers held at Hotel Galadari, Colombo.

The felicitation was organised by the ANCL to appreciate the long service rendered by its workers. One hundred and twenty two workers who had served the ANCL for 40 years, 35 years and 25 years were felicitated.

Addressing the gathering Minister Yapa said he was happy to associate himself with the felicitation ceremony for the second time as Media Minister and said these workers - the livewire of the institution deserve to be felicitated.

Minister Yapa also added the institution had a long history and it was the duty of the present day workers to take the institution to another 100 years of service to the country. In doing that the institution needed to be given a facelift to meet modern challenges.

He stressed the importance of concentrating more on the institution that provides workers salary rather than on the salary itself. The workers should love the institution they work for. He as the Minister in charge of Media and Information has taken steps to infuse new blood by appointing a young and versatile group of people as Directors of the Board.

"All these changes envisaged by my Ministry are also found in the Mahinda Chinthanaya and we will implement them," the Minister said.

ANCL Chairman, Dr. Sunil Jayasekera said the institution should be geared to face new challenges and he as the Chairman has taken steps to improve productivity and efficacy of the institution.

"The ANCL has served the Sri Lankan community for 98 years and the workers as well as the community have tremendously benefited from it.

"I really appreciate the hard work put into this by the workers who are felicitated today. It was their blood and sweat that has made the institution what it is today and I salute them on behalf of the Government and the institution and I wish them long life," the Chairman said.

ANCL Editorial Director Karunaratna Paranavithana welcomed the distinguished invitees and the felicitated workers.

In his welcome address he said the ANCL is one of the few long- standing institutions in the country and hence the ANCL is able to felicitate its workers for such long service. "Good management and good workers are the two vital factors for an institution to succeed. And these two vital ingredients are found at Lake House.

He pointed out that Lake House needed to be transformed in to suit the present day demands.