Under next Presidency:

Rs 10,000 b for development

Ishara Mudugamuwa in Galle

The Government's national development plan will disburse a minimum Rs. 10,000 billion in the next term of President Mahinda Rajapaksa in addition to the Rs. 2,000 billion spent in the last four years, especially in infrastructure, power, road development, ports and telecommunications, Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said.

Addressing a media workshop organized by the National Development Media Centre in collaboration with the Government Information Centre and the Media Ministry in Galle, the Minister said although the whole world was badly affected by the global economic downturn the Government, manged with the security, development and welfare activities successfully.

"Under the Mahinda Chinthana program of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the whole country is now developing day by day," the Minister added.

When we consider the Galle district we can see the number of development projects that are currently in progress. People living in the Galle district mainly depend on tea.

As a result of the economic down fall people had to face lot of difficulties. But President Mahinda Rajapaksa encouraged them by giving the fertilizer subsidy at a time they were facing a difficult situation. Now our tea has a good market but he didn't stop giving relief to the people.

Addressing the workshop, the Minister said the National Development Media Centre established by President Mahinda Rajapaksa has given a chance for the people to complain about the shortcomings and the weaknesses in the development process.

"Sometimes people do not get maximum use of development projects because of the uncaring behavior of some politicians. Now any one can inform about such incidents to the National Development Media Centre," the Minister said.

He also said: "The responsibility of the NDMC is to educate the public about the massive development projects already completed and about the projects to be carried out in the future." Director General of the National Development Media Centre Ariya Rubasinghe, Media Ministry Secretory, W.D. Ganegala, Director General of Government Information, Anusha Palpita and Southern Provincial Heads of the Departments also participated at this occasion.