LTTE occupation nears end

ChRISTIE FERNANDO Chilaw special correspondent

Only 10 per cent of the territory remains to be seized from the insurgents to unshackle the North.

And this should be achieved in a matter of days to say the least. After a spell of thirty years the seemingly endless occupation by the LTTE is coming to an abrupt end, said Minister of Nation Building and Infrastructure Development Rohitha Abeygunawardena.

The Minister was presiding at the distribution of prizes to youngsters both male and female who had completed their courses in various disciplines and held at the Ministry of Youth Affairs Centre, Chilaw.

He said, after trouncing the terrorists, the other gigantic task at hand would be to transform this country to a productive and industrious nation.

This uphill assignment though daunting will be accomplished with relative composure and ease.

The Minister said the concrete measures the President has taken for the progress of the country is praiseworthy and I too will follow suit to emulate him and complete the construction of this four-storeyed youth complex with the resources of the Ministry of Nation Building. I’ll set aside Rs. 5 million from my Ministry for this commendable venture. So, all the shortcomings and problems at this centre will be surmounted.

He said that this institution was inaugurated for the benefit of the youth in Chilaw-Puttalam districts under the purview of Deputy Speaker Priyankara Jayaratne who was then the Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs. And he had commenced programs to improve the inborn talents and skills of the youth. It is our obligation then to ensure this institution is improved and safeguarded.

The Minister said President Mahinda Rajapaksa used his good offices to initiate action to adopt meaningful strategies and schemes for the sake of the future of this country. In this connection, it is worth noting that countries like China, Malaysia, Japan and Singapore were in the forefront in providing ample opportunities in vocational training for youth to be gainfully employed without any hassle or hindrance.

Deputy Minister of Aviation Sarath Kumara Gunaratne, Deputy Speaker Priyankara Jayaratne, Chilaw Predeshiya Sabha Chairman, Janaka Pradeep de Soysa and Puttalam district Youth Affairs Assistant Director Ms Sumithra Damayanthi also spoke.