Regional politics retarded development - Minister

The regional political system has retarded country’s development effort. Political divisions should be restricted to election times only, Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said.

He was addressing a meeting to mark the opening of a new wing of wards at the Urugamuwa Hospital which was upgraded as a regional hospital recently. Southern Province Chief Minister and Health Minister Shan Wijayalal de Silva presided.

Minister Alahapperuma said the Urugamuwa Hospital earlier functioned as a maternity home.

He said he was happy to see it being upgraded as a C Grade regional hospital. The Minister, when he attended St. Servatius College, Matara his friends used to make the fool out of him for hailing from Urugamuwa. But he learnt from a teacher there that the actual name of Urugamuwa is Hurugamuwa.

The Government has now laid the foundation to enable residents of Urugamuwa to stand on their own feet as respectable citizens. He said he is also happy to see three UNP MPs too attending the meeting shelving petty political differences. Southern Province Chief Minister Shan Wijayalal de Silva and several others also spoke.