(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) – President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has assured to rehabilitate all roads in the country within the next four years, President’s Media Division said.
During a meeting with the newly appointed District Committee chairmen held at the Presidential Secretariat Monday, the President has requested the young MPs to actively contribute to build the national economy by finding solutions to various issues faced by the public in several districts.
President said the District Committee chairmen bear a great responsibility towards taking the country forward by making efficient use of state machinery and working together with Ministers and State Ministers.
The young Members of Parliament who were not made Ministers were appointed to chair District Development Committees with the objective of devoting their entire time to development activities.
The Government has identified issues that are common as well as unique to several districts. Priority will be given to resolving problems such as shortage of drinking and irrigation water, rehabilitation of irrigation systems, intrusion of wild elephants into villages and to find swift solutions to address prevailing shortcomings in education and health sectors. District Development Committee chairmen were appointed simultaneously with Cabinet and State Ministers to achieve these targets.
President Rajapaksa said that the current situation in every district in the country will be constantly reviewed to a mechanism will be formulated to address existing problems immediately.
Work on several development programs implemented by the then Government till 2015 has been stalled. Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival Basil Rajapaksa said all suspended constructions should be completed using the allocation of funds from the forthcoming budget.
Mr. Rajapaksa added that plans have been mooted to rehabilitate all the roads in the country categorized as A, B, C and D before the end of the tenure of the incumbent President.
President told the District Committee chairmen the trust of the public in politicians should be strengthened by working in conjunction with Ministries and officials.
The chairmen of District Development Committees assured that they would be fully committed to the development of the country by providing the support expected by the President.
Secretary to the President P.B. Jayasundera, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance S.R. Attygalle and the Secretary Defense Major Gen. (Retd.) Kamal Gunaratne were also present during the discussion.
