Electricity will generate job avenues to uplift standards - Minister of Irrigation Chamal Rajapaksa

Raja Waidyasekera, Tissamaharama special corr

TISSAMAHARAMA: The provision of electricity supply paves the way for the development of backward villages because lot of self-employment ventures and small and medium-scale industries will come into existence, said the Minister of Irrigation and Water Management Chamal Rajapaksa.

The Minister said so addressing a meeting that followed the opening of two electricity supply schemes at Mullegoda Samagi Mawatha in Yakgasmulla set up at a cost of Rs. 250,000 and at Wettabuwa at Abagasmulla set up at a cost of Rs. 2,826,000.

The electricity supply schemes were implemented under the Gama Neguma, Jathika Saviya and Rebuilding the Nation programme of infrastructure facilities provision by the Southern Development Authority's Hambantota district office.

The Minister said that the electricity supply will not only generate electricity but also job avenues to uplift the living standard and social status of the less fortunate people in the villages. They will be self-reliant without being burden to others.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is of the view that the development activities should be launched at grass roots level if a country is to reach prosperity.

The people in the villages should build bridges of friendship with the community based organisations relevant officials and others that would be of great importance for their progress. The farmers in Hambantota district have obtained bumper harvests of paddy this season.

Paddy purchasing centres have been set up for the purchase of paddy to prevent the farmers from being fleeced by the private sector traders. A colossal sum of money is being drained to foreign countries in the form of foreign exchange by importing consumer items. Most of these consumer items can be produced in our country.

Wide ranging programmes have been launched by various cultivators of various consumer items at the moment to save the colossal sum of money that is sent to foreign countries in the form of foreign exchange.

Weeraketiya DS Y. Wickramasiri, Chairman, SPC Somawansa Kodagoda, Coordinator to President Upul Dissanayake, Chairman and Director General SDA Ranjith Gunasekera and SDA District Director G. Ariyasena were present.