Indian HC donates 20 buses for estate students

S. DURAISAMY Maskeliya group corr.

Minister Arumugam Thondaman, Minister of Youth Empowerment and Socio Economic Development and General Secretary of Ceylon Workers Congress personally met Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, who visited Sri Lanka for SAARC meeting, in Colombo and he had requested the Indian Premier to help and assist the estate worker’s children, the students who were suffering a lot to attend their schools in time without proper bus transport.

He had donated 20 City Rider buses for students of schools in upcountry, through the Ceylon Workers Congress led by Minister Arumugam Thondaman, said Aloka Prasad, High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka.

The High Commissioner donated the buses, on behalf of the Indian Government, at the Thondaman Vocational Training Foundation, CLF, Kotagala last Friday presided over by the Minister Arumugam Thondaman.

The Indian High Commissioner Aloka Prasad said that the Minister Arumugam Thondaman was always thinking of the development and progress of estate community. I had visited here with my Deputy High Commissioner in Colombo and Assistant High Commissioner in Kandy.

I was very pleased of the needs for school bus services for students of plantation community. The Ceylon Workers Congress and the Indian Government were in close ties. Both have close ties with the community historically and culturally as well.

I had visited six times to Nuwara Eliya and Hatton areas. The Government of India was prepared to help, assist and aid the people of plantation community. So the CWC and the Government of India have close friendly relationships with each other.

The High Commissioner said that I learnt the TVTC has been rendering vast services in bringing up the community in their life. It has provided a way for self-employment which was very important at present. The Indian Government had donated 20 City Rider buses to be maintained by the ‘Annai Kothmi’ Entrepremier Company (G. Ltd).

He said education and employment problems must be looked into very carefully and they too were very important. I was sure that the CWC will solve them very tactfully and wisely under the leadership of Minister Arumugam Thondaman, who was committed to serve the estate people.

The High Commissioner said further that invitation for this function was extended to me personally by the Minister and I accepted it happily and came for the function. Surely, the education and employment problems of estate workers will be solved very soon.

The Deputy Minister of Estate Infrastructure Development and Nation Building and President of CWC Muthu Sivalingam, while proposing a vote of thanks, said that the Ceylon Workers Congress was inaugurated by the first Prime Minister of India late Jawaharlal Nehru. Since then there has been a cordial relationship between the CWC and Indian Governments, historically and culturally.

R. Yogarajan, Director of Annai Kothai Enterpremier Company (G. Ltd) and Vice President of CWC, said that he appreciated the Indian Government’s donations of 20 City Riders and it was formed in the name of Mother Kothai Ammal who dedicated her services during her lifetime for the development and progress of estate people. She was the wife of late leader of CWC Soumiyamoorthy Thondaman.

At this function, V. Radhakrishnan, Education Minister, Central Province, Central Provincial Councillors Singh Ponniah, S. Ram and CWC high officials with Presidential Advisor Mrs. Anusha Sivarajah were present.