New Year messages

Join in unity to realise goals - President

We step into this New Year as a country that has gained immense progress in freedom, democracy and the tasks of development, and one that has successfully faced up to many challenges before it, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said in a New Year message.

Full text: “Similarly, we move into this New Year as a country that has won the confidence of people both at home and abroad. Therefore, the year dawning today will seek valuable work for the progress of democracy, equality among people and important aspects of development in our Motherland.

“It is my belief that all communities will join in unity with the common purpose of success towards realising these goals.

“The achievement of success in all the tasks before us with determination, commitment and courage is my wish for our Motherland in the Year 2013.”

Opportunity to further entrench co-existence – PM

I believe that the dawn of a fresh year provides a valuable opportunity to further entrench co-existence, prosperity and dignity of the motherland, Prime Minister D M Jayaratne said in a New Year message.

The message: “As a nation, it is our prime aim in the New Year to conquer expectations and goals that we have not been able to achieve so far. Although we have made rapid progress in achieving physical development, I believe that developing rich spiritual and moral values within ourselves too should be one of our main goals.

“For us Sri Lankans who achieved peace through determination, the New Year brings the responsibility of continuing to work in unity to further strengthen the country’s future stability. For this purpose, we should all join hands irrespective of differences.

When the country becomes strong, it will give us the strength to defeat all conspiracies.

“Both individually and as a nation we have numerous challenges ahead of us in the New Year.

As a government we have already taken steps to supplement facilities needed to overcome such challenges.

In our quest to be the Wonder of Asia, 2013 will be a decisive year.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa introduced major development programmes to further strengthen sustainable development in the country.

The government under the leadership of the President is also working on further developing infrastructure.

“My firm wish for the New Year is for all to flourish under one flag.

“I wish all Sri Lankans a happy New Year.”

Self-sufficient Sri Lanka, a New Year wish of all

It will not be difficult to create a self-sufficient Sri Lanka, if all Sri Lankans determine as their New year wish to build a prosperous country by suppressing the so called conspiring forces, which are aiming at achieving narrow objectives while spreading misconceptions, Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said in a New Year message.

The New Year dawns with the generation of fresh hopes and feelings within every person. They are determined to make the New Year a period of health and prosperity.

The human society is being active solely for the unfailing effort of man to realize his future aspirations successfully.

Therefore, the generation of new hopes and expectations within people become reinforcement to the forward march of a country.

We have experienced a fearsome period in which we could neither keep hope for future, nor even for tomorrow. However, now, the avenues have been opened for a new era by putting an end to that era of misfortune. Expectations of every person is to be financially strong. Even the government expects to make the country prosperous.

The government as well as the public has to face diverse obstacles in the path towards economic well-being. The country and its people have to defeat local and international forces, which are trying to destabilize the country by weakening the development path as well as to face natural disasters. It is essential for the public to act in unity to strengthen the economy by defeating all these forces and for the victory of the country in the long run.

May all your dreams come true in the New Year!

Northerners enjoying benefits of peace

The year is almost gone and a New Year has dawned and it is time for greeting and good wishes for the New Year 2013.

May the New Year Shower you with all that is best and usher in an era of contentment, happiness and prosperity, Northern Province Governor G A Chandrasiri issuing a New Year message said.

The message: As the Northern Province Governor reflections of the past year recall the achievement made whereby the people of the Northern Province have and are enjoying the benefits of peace brought about by the leadership provided by President Mahinda Rajapaksa whose vision of the Mahinda Chintanaya and especially the “Vadakkin Vasantham/Uthuru Wasanthaya” programme were put in motion and guidance gave the impetus towards implementing the tasks of the Presidential Task Force.

The displaced have been resettled, some others rehabilitated, homes renovated and rebuilt, houses constructed and yet others being activated.

Time to put our Best foot forward!

A Very Happy and Prosperous New Year, it said.

All should ensure violence free future for women, children

Nimal Wijesinghe Anuradhapura Additional District group corr.

Every patriotic citizen shall determine to assist the government's efforts to grant a better, brighter and a violence free future to the children and the womens’ community in the country, Womens’ Affairs and Child Development Minister Tissa Karalliyadda said in a special New Year message.

The existence of a enthusiastic and rejoicing crowd of women and children in society is definitely a sign of the country being ushered into prosperity, glory and splendeur, Karalliyadda said.

“President Mahinda Rajapaksa wants the authorities including the Women's Affairs and Childcare Ministry to launch programmes which ensure the safety, protection, welfare of around seven million of the child population and also the 55 percent of women's population. Acting in line with the Mahinda Chintana Future Vision we have been implementing various beneficiary programmes for them irrespective of caste creed, nationality and religion” Karalliyadda said.

He points out that the love, compassion and them kindness towards the child and the woman shall initiate at home level to be expanded and extended to society. In the New Year it was our aim to reduce the incidents of child abuse, rape and violence on women and children, the Minister said.

NCP determined to solve burning problems

Nimal Wijesinghe Anuradhapura Additional District group correspondent

The prosperity of the North Central Province solely depending on its agriculture and the tank culture decending from the time of our great ancient kings.

We the North Central Provincial Council is determined to revive the development and the livelihood empowerment in the region by rehabilitating around 3,200 tanks and offering permanent solutions to the burning problems of the people giving priority to the stagnating land problems”, North Central Provicial Chief Minister Ranjith Samarakoon said in a special New Year message.

The chief minister says that all political differences shall be done away with in the implementation of overall development programmes to enhance the living condition of the low-income group in the province in the New Year.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has paved us the way to rethink about our path for the self sufficiency by initiating the desilting programme during the drought.

It shall be our duty and obligation towards the people to prioritize irrigational and agricultural renaissance for their benefit, Samarakoon said.

It is not advisable to work just do gain private or political ends when we are in power.

It is the truth that once we gain agricultural development it offers us the spiritual advancement simultaneously. In this context we the North Central Provincial Council has planned to tour from village to village at the level of divisional secretariat division conducting mobile services to solve burning problems of the villagers from the beginning of 2013”, the chief minister emphasized in his New Year message.