Govt will win budget vote with clear majority - Media Minister

Dharma Sri ABEYRATNE

The Government will win the budget vote with a clear majority the Minister of Media and Media Spokesman for National Development Laksman Yapa Abeywardena said yesterday at the press briefing held at the Information Department.

Even, though UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake has said the Opposition could win the budget vote, the Government is capable enough to win the vote with a bigger majority than last year, the Minister added.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa would express the intension of the Government stand on the current situation in the country when he meets the Indian Prime Minister. The only intension of the Government is to liberate the Tamil people from the clutches of the LTTE. The Government has to defeat the LTTE to achieve the particular goal "Though a political solution is the answer for this situation, the Government has to defeat the LTTE terrorism militarily. Otherwise a political solution will not be worked out", the Minister added.

Further he stressed that the President has clearly pointed out that there will not be any settlement with the LTTE until they law down arms.

The National Water Supply and Drainage Board under the Minister of Water Supply and Drainage has allocated Rs. 28,380,50 million for several projects next year. Under these project thousands of people in many parts of the country will be provided with drinking water which they have been lacking for long time. Many water purifying centres are scheduled to be constructed and modernised in due course.

The Water Supply and Drainage Board has so far invested Rs. 19,625 million out of 28,198 million in various projects which have especially been targeted to uplift the water facility for rural and urban areas including Greater Colombo.

In addition sewerage system is also scheduled to be upgraded and modernised. The Government has allocated millions of money for this purpose.