Urban Development Minister says:

Lanka to achieve significant development

Shirley WIJESINGHE

Sri Lanka will achieve significant socio-economic and cultural development especially in the rural areas, Urban Development and Sacred Areas Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said addressing a public rally held at Welimada.

The Minister added that Sri Lanka is a country which inherited a famous cultural heritage demonstrating amazing feats to the world. The people should learn more lessons from our heritage and divert these experiences towards development.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa had introduced the perfect development guidelines through the "Mahinda Chinthana" to develop the country on an equitable pattern from Devundara Point to Point Pedro. The main objective of these development projects are aimed at achieving balanced development without considering any differences such as racial, religious, caste or provincial differences, Minister Gunawardena said.

He said that there is no opposition party in the country that seem to have understood these type of policies. These parties had become unattractive, diluted and outdated today. Such parties will be definitely defeated at the elections. This type of defeats are specially common to the UNP.

Commenting on the traditional election campaigns launched by Opposition parties in the Uva Provincial elections, Minister Gunawardena said that a political party should always adhere to their promises.

Gunawardena said that his Ministry had spent over Rs. 355 million to develop Sacred Areas last year. It is clear that the Government is not only keen on economic development but also the development of ethical and spiritual aspects.

He also said that the ultimate hope of the Government was to dedicate itself to work for the development of the country to benefit all sections of people.