President only world leader with time for kids - Keheliya

* Spends at least one hour daily with them

* They take forward our heritage

Jayasiri Munasinghe and Digamadulla Group

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is the one and only leader in the world who sets aside one hour daily to spend with children despite his busy schedule, said Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.

The minister was addressing a ceremony at Bandaraduwa school yesterday to open the newly constructed multi-functional building parallel to the Deyata Kirula 2013 - National Development Exhibition in Ampara. Resources and gifts worth of Rs 8 million were also presented to the students of the school.

In 1990, 31 civilians in the Bandaraduwa village were brutally killed by the LTTE. With the resource enhancement of the school, the village which was under threat of terrorism for about three decades, has been revived.

The minister further said “The President often says the best is for the nation’s children. He implies that children take forward our heritage.

The President finds at least an hour or half an hour daily to spend with children despite how busy he is. I asked the President how he finds this time. He said this time he spends with children provides him strength to go forward resolving all the challenges and problems that he encounters as President of the country. He said meeting chidren is also more pleasant compared to other onerous tasks.

During 2005 to 2009, the sole aim of the President was to free the country from brutal terrorism and he fulfilled this task. From 2010 onwards he is working to make this country the wonder of Asia by making it the hub in five main sectors. To become the knowledge hub educational facilities should be evenly spread to outstation and rural areas enabling the children to continue their studies smoothly. It is to fulfill this goal the Deyata Kirula was made a national event that brings development to the village instead of making it an exhibition or a festival.

Parallel to the Deyata Kirula exhibition this year Rs 60,000 million worth of development activities took place in Ampara, Trincomalee, Batticoloa and Polonnaruwa. Schools, hospitals, and roads were developed. Deyata Kirula put the surrounding villages on a fast track to development . Mass Media and Information Ministry Secretary Dr. Chritha Herath said dramatic and far reaching changes are being witnessed in all sectors due to the vision of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Almost all provinces of the country have begun to develop under the able leadership of the President. “The Media Ministry under its preview is doing the maximum to fulfill the tasks entrusted to us. We have helped achieve national level expectations even beyond our limitations. We contribute to all virtuous activities. This is also a similar type of work in a series of events”.

There is a belief in America, Canada and Europe that “children belong to God” What we can do is just to look after them. today we participated in an event which provided care for children, he said.

” When Prince Dutugemunu was at war with alien forces , his brother Prince Saddhthissa stabilized the country with food by cultivating the areas in Digamadulla. he achieved food security for the country living in this area”. Education Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Jayarathne and Information Ministry’s Additional Secretary K.W.T.N Amarathunga also spoke.