5,000 RDA employees made permanent after 15 years

Jayasiri Munasinghe

COLOMBO: Five thousand employees who had served at the Road Development Authority (RDA) for more than 15 years on a casual and temporary basis received permanent appointments from President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday in Colombo.

President Rajapaksa handed over permanent appointments for this section of employees fulfilling a pledge he had given to them when he was serving as the Prime Minister and also as the Minister of Highways.

This is the first instance in the recent history where 5,000 employees were absorbed into the permanent cadre on a single date.

President Rajapaksa addressing the ceremony held at the Viharamahadevi Open Air Theatre to handover permanent appointments expressed his happiness as he was able to fulfil yet another pledge under 'Mahinda Chinthanaya' for the well-being of the working class.

"I am fulfilling all these pledges not for my popularity but to fulfil my responsibilities to the people of this country," the President remarked.

The President said that the prime aim of the Government is to ensure the freedom and democratic rights of all communities in the country.

The President appealed media men to act responsibly without betraying the National Security of the Motherland as they have been given full freedom to criticise the Government and all the Ministers through any media.

The President also pointed out that the Government is making all its efforts to solve the ethnic problem that was dragging on for more than two decades exercising a greater deal of patience not only with the southern polity but also with the LTTE.

"We had to take measures to defeat terrorism as our soldiers became victims of terrorist attacks risking National Security," the President added.

He also said that the benefits of development should reach all parts of the country without any restriction.

Trade, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister and Highways Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, Foreign Employment and Labour Relations Minister Athauda Seneviratne, Road Development Minister T. B. Ekanayake, Highways, Urban Development and Water Supply Deputy Minister Rohana Dissanayake were also participated at this ceremony.