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Many development programmes carried out despite various challenges - PM

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday that the government has carried out a number of development programmes despite the Easter Sunday bomb blasts, anti-government campaign and many other challenges.

“Despite these challenges, we have been able to achieve a number of development goals during this short period. We invested heavily in social transformation during the last four years,” the Prime Minister said.

“Now, the country is heading towards economic development. We will actually invest more money to expedite these development activities in the future,” the Prime Minister added.

“From this January after defeating a 52-day Constitutional conspiracy hatched by the Opposition, we have been working hard without even thinking of the difficulties. That is why we have been able to complete a number of development projects including several large scale housing construction projects for the plantation community, lowest income groups and people in the North and East. Samurdhi benefits have been provided to 600,000 people while a number of loans have been granted under the Enterprise Sri Lanka scheme. A speedy development programme has been launched in rural areas under the Gamperaliya programme. I have instructed Ministers and MPs to complete all development projects by this September,” Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said.

“We were even unable to pay back the loans taken for various projects by the previous regime when we took over the country. We are now capable of paying both interest and installments of these loans as well,” the Prime Minister said.

“The country’s economy suffered a massive set back due to the Easter Sunday terror attacks. But today, all the suspects wanted in connection with the Easter Sunday terror attacks are either dead or in jail and the economy is recovering steadily,” the Prime Minister added.

The Prime Minister was speaking at a ceremony to grant Rs.66.2 million to 331 winners of the Samurdhi Housing Lottery Draw for the month of May at Temple Trees yesterday.

“The Samurdhi Housing Lottery Draw commenced in 2002 when I was the Prime Minister.The lottery draw was conducted every six months providing assistance to Samurdhi beneficiaries to build their own houses. But today, the lottery draw is held every month.

The number of houses constructed annually has been increased from 1,700 to 8,000 from this year,” the Prime Minister said.

Primary Industries and Social Empowerment Minister Daya Gamage said that Samudhi recipients will be able to obtain a housing loan up to Rs.500,000 through the Samurdhi Banks.

(Daily News)