President orders State officials:

Bring idle factories under BOI

*Gather info on non-functional factories

*Failed development initiatives burden on public

Rasika SOMARATHNA and Dhanushka GODAKUMBURA

President Mahinda Rajapaksa told state officials to bring all abandoned factories within investment zones under the control of the Board of Investment (BOI).

During the Western Province development review meeting in Panadura on Saturday, President Rajapaksa instructed state officials to gather information on all such non- functional factories and take steps to acquire them.

These institutions enjoyed special tax concessions, he said.

The President told State administrators and politicians that development activities should be enacted in line with the people?s and country?s needs. Prior to the projects proper planning should take place to ensure a successful completion, he said.

?Failed development initiatives would only be a burden on the public,? he added. President Rajapaksa also told officials to remove foundation stones from sites where no construction has taken place.

He stressed that laying foundation stones should not take place if the authorities do not possess money to complete the intended projects.

Such activities would only tarnish the Government?s image, the President added. President Rajapaksa also brought forth to the notice of the gathering poor construction standards adopted by certain contractors and added that some projects had become a total failure while some others had to be abandoned mid way. Strict measures should be taken against contractors including the recovering of monies, he noted.

President Rajapaksa also said that illegal constructions enacted under the guise of development should not be allowed. The President prevailed on the officials on the need to streamline the Western province development and urged them to work as a team to propagate people?s wishes.