Devananda assures industrialists relief

Action will be taken to provide relief to industrialists in Industrial Estates belonging to the Ceylon Industrial Development Board, Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda said.

He was speaking at a meeting attended by industrialists from Industrial Estates at the ministry auditorium last week.

The meeting was held to discuss matters raised in the report submitted to the minister by the ministerial committee he had appointed to look into industrialists' grievances.

The three member committee comprises ministry chief accountant H M A Medawatte, ministry former Senior Assistant Secretary B P C Kularatne and Industrial Development Board director A Athukorala. The minister said that he now has a clear picture of the problems that had been causing difficulties to industrialists.

He said he could now direct his attention to the lapses and constraints in the facilities provided to them, especially by the Industrial Development Board, such as land rental, security, drinking water, sewerage and water treatment, power supply, raw material availability, etc.

Devananda instructed the committee to re-submit the report having included the ideas, views and suggestions of the representatives and those obtained from Panaluwa and Pannala Industrial Estates, together with their recommendations.

Ministry secretary V Sivagnanasothy, minister's adviser M Jegarasasingam and Industrial Development Board chairman Udaya Sri Kariyawasam also participated in the meeting.