Government committed to empower villages economically

Irangika Range

The Government is committed to empower the villages economically so that economic power hitherto concentrated in Colombo would also be distributed to the periphery, said Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa MP on the occasion of the launching of the new rail bus service between Trincomalee ad Batticaloa.

“That is why infrastructure facilities such as roads, bridges, schools, police stations, banks and trade stalls are built and commissioned in rural areas, especially in the North and East”, he added.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa who liberated the country from the clutches of terrorism is keen to strengthen democracy by holding periodic elections to representative bodies so that people can participate in governance, he said.

Commenting on the assistance given by India for the new rail bus service and other development activities in the North and East Presidential Advisor basil Rajapaksa MP said that the Indian Government has been a tower of strength for Sri Lanka in its development drive.

Indian High Commissioner Alok Prasad addressing those present said that the Indian Government had gifted 10 buses worth Rs. 66 million to start the new rail bus service.

It is a fine example of the fruitful cooperation between the two countries, he noted.

Earlier he opened a new branch of the Lanka Putra Bank in Batticaloa.

This bank will support the development of agriculture, fisheries, livestock industry and small entrepreneurs in the East. The objective of opening this bank is to strengthen the economic power of the people, a process we have been nurturing since the liberation of the East, he added.

He also outlined the future plans for the development of the region at a meeting held at the District Secretary’s Office to review the progress of development activities. According to him these plans include the development of 10, 0000 home gardens under the food drive initiated by the government and the completion of the Gal Oya Renaissance project at a cost of Rs. 5 million.