Government welcomes constructive criticism - President

Rohan Mathes in Weeraketiya

WEERAKETIYA: President Mahinda Rajapaksa who attended a ceremony to lay the foundation stone for the construction of a new dagoba at the Keppetiyawa Sri Punyawardenarama Raja Maha Viharaya,Weeraketiya yesterday said that his Government was prepared to take constructive criticism with good spirit.

"We are willing to listen to the advice of the Maha Sangha, the intellectuals, the experts and the elders. We welcome fair criticism with constructive ideas. The media itself should be cautious and be responsible to the veracity of what they report with regard to the North and East situation.

We will not grab that freedom of the media, but make the best use of such criticism to strengthen the development work", he said.

He was also very emphatic in saying that his Government would not allow the country to be divided." Though Peace is a challenge, I am prepared to work systematically and carefully to achieve honourable peace. The time has come for us all to work together putting aside party politics and agendas".

Addressing the large crowd present at the foundation laying ceremony President Rajapaksa said that the development of the country should not only be materialistic but it has to encompass spiritual development as well.

The President went onto say that within a short period of time the country has witnessed a renaissance in Buddhism and it was very remarkable as there could not be true development sans spiritual development. He stressed the importance of the Temple Centred development as it was found in the past.

The President emphasised the need to push forward the development process islandwide simultaneously with the peace process.

The development work should not be confined to the Western Province but the whole country including the North and the East. We are keen and dedicated to develop the South and the North equally. When the village is developed in turn the entire country embraces development in the process, he said.

"This is the onus of the Government. It has to provide the proper infrastructure facilities such as Roads, Drinking Water and Electricity to the entire country. Steps we have taken to provide electricity to all villages will be carried out. We will proceed with the Norochchcolai and Kotmale electricity projects to make electricity economically viable to each house-hold.

On the 16th of this month we will inaugurate the project to provide electricity to all beginning from Hambantota", he added.

The incumbent Monk of the Devalegama Raja Maha Viharaya Ven Devalegama Dhammasena Nayaka Thera, Keppetiyawa Sri Punyawardenarama Raja Maha Viharaya, Chief Sanganayaka of the Hambantota district including Matara Wellabadaapattuwa Ven. Keerthi Sri Dhammadinna Ratanapala, Mallaketigoda Saddananda Nayaka Thera, Agriculture Development Minister Chamal Rajapaksa and Ministers S. M. Chandrasena and Mahinda Amaraweera, Hambantota District Secretary S. W. Piyasena were also present.