Media Minister responds to Ranil

Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion and Information and Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa yesterday hit out at the charges made by Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe that the Government had neglected the country's road development.

Issuing a statement the Minister said, "the UNP's helplessness in latching on to a slogan has been demonstrated by its leader on many occasions in the recent past. The best example of this is the accusations he has made against the Government concerning the road development of the country. It is clear to all that massive road development projects have been completed throughout the country and not just in the South. It is therefore regrettable that the Opposition Leader has charged that the Government has neglected highway development as if he suddenly woken from a slumber. Even UNPers are of the view that the peoples' verdict cannot be changed by such puerile comments.

According to the UNP leader all road development projects are contained in the party's development plans. Similarly the elimination of terrorism,commencement of new industries, upgrading education and solutions to unemployment are all included in the UNP leader's policy document. But none of these have been implemented. The UNP leader puts out a manifesto before every election and may have lost count of the number of times. But nothing has been implemented on the ground.

There wasn't a single road carpeted for even 10 kilometres during his tenure of office. Nor has he constructed a single bridge. Instead he took steps to shut down the State Machinery and Equipment Unit.

Under Maga Neguma from August 2009, 7,513 kilometres of roads have been re-laid at a cost of Rs. 11,095 million a majority of these carpeted.

The far flung villages in the Southern Province is today enjoying the fruits of Maga Neguma. In the Districts of Galle, Matara and Hambantota alone 978 road development projects have been implemented spending Rs. 939 million. Expressways that were being carried out at snails pace when this Government assumed office is now being accelerated with the disbursement of the necessary funds. Accordingly, the Southern Express way is slated to be completed in 2010. Steps have been taken to start work on the Colombo-Kandy Expressway and the Colombo - Kandy alternate expressway . A sum of Rs. 95,244 million have been earmarked for this.

There is also the Flyovers constructed in Kelaniya, Nugegoda to ease traffic congestion in the greater Colombo area while work is nearing completion on the Dehiwela Flyover. Plans are already being drawn up to construct another 17 flyovers while special emphasis is being laid on developing the road networks in the North and East under the Neganahira Navodaya and Uthuru Wasanthaya programs.

No other Government has undertaken such volume of work in upgrading and developing the country's road network. I dismiss the UNP leaders charges with the utmost contempt.