Boom time for pepper and cinnamon - Minister Chamal Rajapaksa
Raja Waidyasekera, Tissamaharama special
correspondent
Cinnamon fetches an wholesale price of Rs. 570 per kilo and pepper
fetches an wholesale price of Rs. 310 per kilo. The wholesale prices of
these commodities now fetches three times the previous price, said Ports
and Aviation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa.
The Minister was addressing a meeting that followed the inauguration
of the Jathika Saviya Maga Neguma programme for the year 2008 sponsored
by the Southern Development Authority (SDA).
The programme was inaugurated at Udagomadiya in Katuwana DS area.
The Minister said although the cost of living has risen the farming
community is now well off deriving a sound income from subsidiary food
corps.
He said the development process flowed towards the Hambantota
district because a leader with farsighted polices became the President.
During the previous UNP regimes development flowed only up to Matara.
The Minister said Udagomadiya is a backward under developed village
in Katuwana DS area. That is why it was selected for development in
various spheres.
He said in 2007 the Jatika Saviya Gama Neguma programme was launched
to develop 4,000 under developed villages in the island. One hundred and
forty eight villages were developed in Hambantota district in 2007.
Fourteen thousand villages have been chosen for development this year.
The Minister said despite the conflict the Government continues
providing jobs to the jobless. There are 200,000 employees in the State
sector at the moment. Recently 1500 civil security officials were
appointed for the protection of areas under LTTE threats.
He said a peaceful election was held in the Batticaloa district.
There was not a single incident there. The foreign countries are full
of praise for the Government for having conducted such a peaceful
election in area just liberated.
The Minister said if the sea port and the airport were set up ten
years ago Hambantota district would have been the most prosperous
district in the Island. Even the previous UNP regimes delayed these
projects.
The Minister of Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development
Gunaratne Weerakone said that he was associated with the Rajapaksa
family since 1976 and that he became a politician as a result of his
friendship he had with the Rajapaksas.
Coconut saplings, Dahampasal books and cinnamon peeling kits were
distributed at the function.
The Chairman and Director General SDA Ranjith Gunasekera, SPC
Minister V.K. Indika and officials of the SDA, SPC member D.V. Upul and
P.S. Member Katuwana D.U. Gamage were present.
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