'Govt. to eliminate all public menaces'
Sandasen MARASINGHE
The public plays a major role in eliminating the drug menace,
underworld, dengue and other nature related issues in Colombo and its
support is essential as the government is taking every probable measure
to achieve that end, said the Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa
yesterday.
He said that there was no point in living in Colombo even though the
government develops it if menaces pester the people.
He said that the government pumps massive amounts of money to develop
Colombo city through many projects as the city is owned by the entire
population of the country and also gives the first impression to foreign
investors, tourists etc, that would benefit the future generations.
The Defence Secretary made this observation at a ceremony to handover
four mobile jetting and vacuum Trucks worth around Rs 164 million to the
Colombo Municipal Council with funds of Asian Development Bank to sort
out waste water disposal. This consignment is the first of a set of
trucks that is required to solve the waste water disposal issue in
Colombo completely.
Defence Secretary Rajapaksa further said that the government has
already initiated to construct 10,000 houses for low income earners in
the Colombo city while another project will be initiated to construct a
set of 10,000 houses within this year to be handed over to recipients
between April and August next year.
He said that the government spends a remarkable amount of money for
garbage disposal in the Colombo city, hence the public has a pivotal
role to keep the city clean.
He added that the Navy maintains the cleanliness of the Beira Lake
every day. The Lake was so polluted that at the inception of the project
the Navy personnel who engaged in the project fell sick frequently.
He also said that he reminds the mayor always that the Colombo
Municipal Council had to pay attention to the issues of garbage,
drainage, roads and pavements in Colombo as they are essential to
provide a proper service to the people in Colombo and those who arrive
in the city every day.
He added though the government allocated funds massively it was
pointless if the officers in the related institutions do not perform
their work properly.
He added that the officers too have to play a proper role to provide
a better service for the public utilizing these funds.
Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister M L M Athgaulla,
Colombo Mayor A J M Muzammil, Colombo Municipal Council Opposition
Leader M Maharoof, Local Government and Provincial Council Ministry
Secretary Dr Nihal Jayathissa also spoke at the occasion.
Local Government and Provincial Councils Deputy Minister Indika
Bandaranayake also was present on the occasion.
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