Big employment drive pledged

Chaminda PERERA in Kegalle

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said the Government will provide more than 200,000 jobs to youth within the first few months of this year.

The President stressed that the Government has already drawn up plans to provide these jobs to Sri Lankan youth in foreign countries. Addressing a massive election rally in Kegalle, he stressed that Sri Lanka will become an economic nerve centre in the region after the construction of five harbours and an international airport at Mattale are completed.

The election rally was organized by Kegalle district SLFP leader and Labour Minister Athauda Seneviratne.

He stressed that he is not ready to compromise the unitary state of the country to achieve narrow and petty political gains.

“The Government is committed to ensure a better future for all Sri Lankans within the confines of a unitary state of the country,” he said.

President Rajapaksa said the NDF Presidential candidate has failed to identify Sri Lanka as an unitary state. He said he has dropped this word from his election manifesto to comply with the conditions of the TNA deliberately.

He said the Government will nullify the agreement that is said to have been signed by a Presidential hopeful and the TNA to remerge the North and the East after January 27.

The President added that the Government led by him is always for the protection and promotion of the unitary state of the country .

He stressed that he is of the opinion that dividends of development should reach all parts of the country equally. The President said the entire country was brought under a massive development drive under the Maganeguma and Gamaneguma programs based on this principle.

The road network in the rural area were developed and highways connecting the city and villages were carpeted under these programs.

He that he was able to open Nenesala Centres islandwide to promote the IT literacy among the school going children and youth. The President said the Government ended an era in which all development activities were confined to the city.

Finance and State Revenue Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Higher Education Minister Prof Wiswa Warnapala, Sabaragamuwa chief Minister Maheepala Herath and Investment Promotion Minister Mano Wijeratne were also present.