Development all over the island under Gama Neguma

Irangika RANGE

COLOMBO: The Government will begin the Gama Neguma national project on March 29 to develop 4,000 villages across the country including the North and East spending nearly Rs. 77 billion to implement major social and economic development, rehabilitation and reconstruction projects in each village to speedily achieve development goals, Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development Minister S.M. Chandrasena said.

“The Government has also decided to start the second stage of the Gama Neguma project by developing 8,000 villages on November while targeting to develop around 14,800 villages be 2009,” the Minister told a media briefing yesterday.

He said uplift of transport, electricity, water, health, education, roads and environment conservation in each village will he given top priority

“It is not only economic uplift that we have in mind but our aim is also to build a virtuous society inculcating religious values into our people by constructing temples, kovils, mosques and churches which would ultimately lead to a prosperous nation,” Chandrasena said.

The project is a good investment which would provide long term benefits creating many self-employment opportunities. Samurdhi officials in each village would carry forward this project by solving all problems.

He said five Ministers including Jagath Pushpakumara, D.M. Dassanayaka, Rohitha Abeygunawardana and Gunaratne Weerakoon would be involved in implementing the project solving problems and developing the country economically and morally to make the Mahinda Chinthanaya a reality.

“Gama Neguma is a timely initiative of President Mahinda Rajapaksa who came up with the idea after visiting a village in Kebethigollewa where he listened to the common man’s grievances. It is the need of the hour to find a speedy solution to national and human problems,” Chandarasena said.

Kalagam Palathe, Deputy Chief Sanganayaka Ven. Kudakathnoruwe Siddhatta thera said the work on largest Stupa in the country “Mahinda Maha Sama Stupa” will commence at the Kotasara Piyangalu Rajamaha Viharaya, Kotagala in Kekirawa. President Mahinda Rajapaksa will lay the foundation stone for the stupa on March 23. The stupa will be 197 feet in height and 147 feet wide.