The country cannot be developed if we keep blaming each other harping on past mistakes and being divided, said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, speaking while touring new projects in Ruwanwella last Thursday.
“The only way for the country to move forward is for everyone to unite,” he stressed.
Addressing a gathering at Ruwanwella he said all concerned should get together and think anew in taking the country forward.
He noted that countries such as Japan, Korea and China have succeeded due to their own efforts and if Sri Lanka follows suit the country also be developed within the next five years.
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said that around 10,000 acres had been allocated in Ruhuna and another 1000 acres in Bingiriya for the setting up of Information Technology (IT) zones, adding that technology is a vital component in revolutionising the agriculture sector to keep up with the modern trends.
The Prime Minister inaugurated several development projects in the Ruwanwella electorate on July 5 and subsequently attended a ceremony organised at the Ruwanwella Rajasinghe Madya Maha Vidyalaya.
A drinking water project was inaugurated by the Prime Minister. The Premier also re-commissioned a renovated town the bus terminal and inaugurated several newly rehabilitated roads. In addition, he also inspected the new buildings and other new facilities constructed for the Sulaimania Maha Vidyalaya.
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said: “When I visited Anguruwella in 2015, the people requested a drinking water project. At the time only a small scale drinking water project was operational providing water to around 400. Therefore, I promised them to set up a drinking water system to resolve their water issues. Over the past two years, every time I am in Parliament MP Thusitha Wijemanne kept reminding me of the water project in Ruwanwella. It is due to her persistence and enthusiasm that we were able to commence this drinking water project so soon.”
The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the Korean Government for their assistance to develop the Ruwanwella area. He said in 2014 the government did not have adequate funds to carry out the development projects, but he had taken steps to obtain the required funds from the Treasury to carry out the development in Ruwanwella.
The Prime Minister said that with these new projects around 35,000 people would have access to clean drinking water.
The projects inaugurated by the Prime Minister were conducted under the ‘nearest school is the best school’ project, the ‘Ran Mangmawath’ road development project and, clean water supply projects.
The country was burdened by debt, the Premier noted, but pointed out that within two years the government had taken measures to strengthen the economy to a point where the country could manage to handle the debt repayments without an issue. “Yet, while we are taking measures to strengthen the economy of the country, the people are questioning us as to what we have done,” he observed.
The Prime Minister noted that the government has also taken steps to develop the education system to prepare Sri Lankan students to keep up with modern technology and for the first time the government is also providing Tabs for school children through the Education Ministry. He said that through these measures the children of rural areas too could keep up with modern technology and develop their knowledge and talents.
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe also said that the government had committed a large sum for road development and in addition to the investment already made, an additional Rs.100 million has been allocated for every electorate for development.
(Daily News)