Government May Day rally in Bandarawela

Ananda Hapugoda Bandarawela group corr

This year's May Day Rally organised by the Government will be held at Bandarawela.

This is in keeping with the government policy of taking the administration centred round Colombo to the villages said Transport Minister and May Day Committee Chairman Dullas Alahapperuma.

Alahapperuma said this at a conference held at the Uva Provincial Council auditorium on Sunday to finalise arrangements for the forthcoming May Day rally.

Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, Western Province Governor Alavi Mowlana, Uva Governor C. Nanda Mathew, Uva Chief Minister Gamini Vijayamuni Soysa Health Deputy Minister Vadivel Suresh Uva Provincial Council Chairman Manel Ratnayake and over 1000 delegates including provincial and local councillors attended the conference.

Alahapperuma said a record crowd attended the Presidential election meeting addressed by President Rajapaksa at Badulla during the Presidential election campaign.

The Government hoped to bring a similar crowd to the May Day Rally at Bandarawela. A May Day procession will not be held this year by the UPFA, he said. Western Province Governor Alavi Mowlana said it was late Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike who declared May Day as a public holiday.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is a true trade union leader who worked for the welfare of people disregarding differences as to caste, creed, politics and social strata and everyone should join hands to make the May Day rally a success.

Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said the Government decision to hold the May Day rally at Bandarawela is a singular honour to the people of Uva. DIG Sunil Perera and several others also spoke.