Vehicle loans, Laptops for journalists

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

Arrangements will be made within the next two weeks to formulate a suitable strategy to grant vehicle loans and provide Laptops for qualified journalists, Cabinet Spokesman and Medi Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.

Addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing at the Government Information Department Auditorium yesterday Minister

Rambukwella said the ministry has already received 1,500 applications from journalists to obtain the vehicle loan of Rs. 1.2 million. The loan will be granted to the highest possible number of qualified journalists.

The laptops will be distributed among journalists soon.It is an utter lie to say that the delay of distributing laptops among journalists occurred due to the failure of obtaining a date from the Media Minister (Keheliya Rambukwella) to hold the ceremony. "'I totally deny this fabricated story because, I did not fail to give a date and it was a shortcoming of the relevant officials who handled the programme. All promises made under Mahinda Chinthaya - Vision for the future will be kept.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa allocated Rs. 50 million from the 2012 budget for this task," Minister Rambukwella added.