සංවර්ධන ව්‍යාපෘතිවල වියදම, ප්‍රගතිය හා ප්‍රතිලාභ නිවැරැදිව සමාලෝචනය කර ඉදිරිපත් කරන්න...

සංවර්ධන ව්‍යාපෘති සඳහා වෙන් වූ මුදල් පිළිබඳව ප්‍රමාණාත්මක දත්ත ගෙනහැර දැක්වීමට වඩා එම ව්‍යාපෘති හරහා මෙතෙක් සිදු වූ ප්‍රතිලාභ හා බලපෑම් පිළිබඳව නිවැරැදි අවබෝධයෙන් කටයුතු කිරීම සහ ප්‍රගතිය සමාලෝචනය කර ඉදිරිපත් කිරීම ඉතා වැදගත් බව අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය ආචාර්ය හරිනි අමරසූරිය කොළඹ දිස්ත්‍රික් සංවර්ධන කමිටුවේ දී ප්‍රකාශ කරන ලදී.

කොළඹ දිස්ත්‍රික් සම්බන්ධීකරණ කමිටුව අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමියගේ සහභාගිත්වයෙන්, සම්බන්ධීකරණ කමිටු සභාපති පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී ලක්ෂ්මන් නිපුණාරච්චි මහතාගේ මූලිකත්වයෙන් ජුලි 15 වැනි දා කොළඹ දිස්ත්‍රික් ලේකම් කාර්යාලයේ දී පැවැත්විණි.

මෙහි දී විමධ්‍යගත අයවැය වැඩසටහන, ග්‍රාමීය මාර්ග සංවර්ධන වැඩසටහන, බස්නාහිර පළාත් දිස්ත්‍රික් සංවර්ධන සැලැස්ම, දිස්ත්‍රික් සංවර්ධන වැඩසටහන, වැවිලි සහ ප්‍රජා යටිතල පහසුකම් අමාත්‍යංශය යටතේ කොළඹ දිස්ත්‍රික්කය තුළ යෝජිත ව්‍යාපෘති වැඩසටහන් යටතේ, 2025 වසර සඳහා යෝජිත ව්‍යාපෘතිවල මේ වන විට ලබා ඇති ප්‍රගතිය පිළිබඳව මූලිකව සාකච්ඡා කෙරිණි.

එහි දී අදාළ සංවර්ධන ව්‍යාපෘතිවල ප්‍රගතිය සම්බන්ධව වෙන වෙනම සිදුකරන ලද පැහැදිලි කිරීම් වෙත අවධානය යොමු කළ අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමිය, තීරණයක් ගතහැකි වගකිවයුතු නිලධාරීන් දිස්ත්‍රික් සංවර්ධන කමිටුවට සම්බන්ධ වීමේ වැදගත්කම අවධාරණය කළා ය.

තවද මෙම වසරට අදාළව දිස්ත්‍රික්කය තුළ සිදුකිරීමට නියමිත සංවර්ධන ව්‍යාපෘතීන්වල ප්‍රගතිය නිවැරැදිව සමාලෝචනය කරගැනීම එළඹෙන වසර සඳහා සැලසුම් ගොඩනැගීමේ දී ඉතා වැදගත් වන බව අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරිය විසින් පෙන්වා දෙන ලදී.

මෙහිදී අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරිය විසින් ගෙන ආ යෝජනාවක් අනුව, මෙම වසරට අදාළ කොළඹ දිස්ත්‍රික්කයේ සම්පූර්ණ සංවර්ධන ව්‍යාපෘතිවල ප්‍රගතිය අගෝස්තු මාසයේ දී නැවත අධීක්ෂණයට ලක් කිරීම පිළිබඳව කොළඹ දිස්ත්‍රික් සම්බන්ධීකරණ කමිටු සභාපති, පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී ලක්ෂ්මන් නිපුණාරච්චි මහතාගේ අවධානය යොමු විය.

තවද මෙම සංවර්ධන කමිටු රැස්වීමේ දී ප්‍රවාහන, මහාමාර්ග, වරාය හා සිවිල් ගුවන්සේවා අමාත්‍යංශයේ විශේෂ ව්‍යාපෘතියක් ලෙස ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීමට නියමිත නාගරික ප්‍රවාහන ප්‍රතිපත්තිය පිළිබඳව කමිටු සාමාජිකයන් වෙනුවෙන් විශේෂ හඳුන්වාදීමක් ද සිදුකරන ලදී.

මෙම අවස්ථාවට කොළඹ දිස්ත්‍රික් පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් වන සමන්මලී ගුණසිංහ, අරුණ පනාගොඩ, අසිත නිරෝෂණ, නිතීඥ සුසන්ත දොඩාවත්ත, දේවානන්ද සුරවීර යන මහත්මහත්මීන් ද කොළඹ දිස්ත්‍රික්කයට අයත් පළාත් පාලන ආයතනවල සභාපතිවරුන් හා උපසභාපතිවරුන් ඇතුළුව කොළඹ දිස්ත්‍රික් ලේකම් ප්‍රසන්න ජනක කුමාර මහතා මෙන්ම දිස්ත්‍රික් සංවර්ධන කමිටු සාමාජිකයන් සම්බන්ධ වූහ.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

In line with the President’s vision that no child should be left behind and the future well-being of all children must be ensured, one of the strongest commitments included in the election manifesto of the National People’s Power (NPP) government has now taken its first step toward realization with the official launch of the “Artha” National Programme.

The inaugural ceremony of the national initiative to provide a monthly allowance of Rs. 5,000 to children residing in orphanages and child care centers with the aim of uplifting their lives, was held on July 15 in Colombo with the participation of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.

The “Artha” National Programme which launched under the guidance of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs is implemented in partnership with the National Savings Bank. From the monthly allowances of Rs. 5,000 allocated by the government per child, Rs. 3,000 will be provided to the management of the care homes for the children’s daily needs, while the remaining Rs. 2,000 will be deposited into a bank account under the child’s name. This saving is intended for the child to use in the future for educational or professional purposes upon reintegration into society.

Addressing the event, the Prime Minister emphasized that:

At times for children those who have lost the opportunity to live in their family homes under parental care for various reasons, children’s homes or similar care institutions become their final option. Ensuring the current well-being as well as the future security of children living in these institutions is a responsibility of the government.

As a government, we are responsible for guaranteeing the education and monitoring the physical and mental well-being of these children. The state cannot neglect the responsibility of caring for every child, regardless of their circumstances. In that regard, the “Artha” initiative being launched today becomes a meaningful national project. The main objective and vision of the Artha” initiative is to safeguard the present and future of these children without harming their identity.

The Prime Minister further added that the children in care homes should be treated as our very own children, and we must remember that they are equally entitled to all the rights and privileges afforded to other children. Ensuring those child rights is also a core goal of the “Artha” programme. While stating that it is everyone’s responsibility to treat these children with dignity, the Prime Minister called upon the Department of Probation and Child Care Services, which holds the main responsibility for the protection and welfare of these children, to fulfill their role properly.

A budget of Rs. 1 billion has been allocated for this project through the government’s first budget and through this, the Artha programme will provide Rs. 5,000 monthly to 9,191 children who have been abandoned, orphaned, or placed under institutional care through court orders residing in 356 child care institutions across the country. There are 356 institutions in this regard of taking care of children.

Addressing the gathering as the Minister in charge, Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savithri Paulraj stated that this is the first time in history that a government has implemented such a systematic plan to take responsibility for children living outside of their biological families. She emphasized that this is a humane responsibility and added that all citizens of the country have contributed to making this initiative a reality.

The event was attended by Deputy Speaker Mohamed Risvi Hameed, Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara, Deputy Minister of Women and Child Affairs Dr. Namal Sudarshana, Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhantri, Secretary to the Ministry K.D. Olga, including the Chairman of the National Savings Bank, other ministers, district secretaries, and public officials, and caretakers and administrators of child care centers benefiting from the Artha programme, as well as children representing care homes, who brighten the event with their talents.

Prime Minister’s Media Division

With the new education reforms, every child will have access to either employment or higher education after leaving school.

Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya

Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, Prime Minister and, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, emphasized that the selection of underprivileged schools for development should be made with the approval of the District Development Committee and not based on favoritism and further stated that the new education reforms would ensure that all children will have the opportunity to either pursue employment or continue higher education after leaving school.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing the awareness program held on July 13 at the Eastern Provincial Council premises, aimed at informing officials representing the Eastern Province about the proposed education reforms.

Addressing the discussion, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated:

This is a historic opportunity for all of us. Through these education reforms, we can provide high-quality education that aligns with global standards. Every child will receive an NVQ certificate that enables them to enter the workforce by the completion of school education.

Currently, the school system does not adequately prepare students for employment. As a result, universities are compelled to develop their soft skills. That skill development should start at the school level.

Starting from Grade 9, children will be given the opportunity to gain hands-on experience to decide on the profession they wish to pursue in the future. Whether they complete 11 or 13 years of education, students will have the choice to either take up a job or pursue a degree. If they wish, they can even work and study for a degree simultaneously.

The education reforms will not be limited to curriculum changes alone but will also focus on improving school infrastructure, teacher training, and fostering public discourse around the reform process.

The funds allocated this year for infrastructure development should be used appropriately. When selecting schools for development in underprivileged areas, do not base decisions on village affiliation or personal favoritism. Selection must be made through proper procedures with the approval of the District Development Committee. Children in difficult areas cannot receive quality education by restricting them to the outcast.

The Prime Minister also called on the Ministry of Education, the Provincial Council, Provincial Departments of Education, Zonal Offices, and Divisional Education Offices to work in collaboration during the reform process.

This event was attended by Eastern Province Governor Jayanta Lal Ratnasiri, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment Arun Hemachandra, Members of Parliament Roshan Akmeemana and S. Kugananthan, Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Nalaka Kaluwawa, officials representing the Ministry of Education, Department of Examinations, National Institute of Education, and Provincial Departments of Education, as well as Zonal Education Directors.

Prime Minister’s Media Division

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the current perspective on education is extremely narrow and that the practice of evaluating education solely based on exam results is flawed and in need of change.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while attending the “Pankaja Student Summit 2025” of the Polonnaruwa District, held on July 13 at Royal Central College, Polonnaruwa aiming for the development of virtues among children by fostering the fundamental aspects of higher education.

Prime Minister Dr. Amarasuriya attended the event as Minister of Education, in response to an invitation from Praveen Maneesha Watthegama, the student Prime Minister representing Royal Central College in the National Student Parliament.

Addressing the event, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated;

We are committed to transforming the exam-centered education system to one that allows talented children to move forward through their abilities and skills.

Our President constantly emphasizes the need to build a compassionate society by nurturing sensitive children with good values. It is not enough to raise individuals who only fulfill their own duties and needs, what matters is producing students who work for the betterment of society in mind.

Today, seeing the creativity and skills of these students, I truly feel happy. I am confident that there is a highly capable group of young people ready to take on the future leadership of our country. Our goal is to nurture not only creativity but also children who are enriched with humanity. Seeing your talents has given me further encouragement. You are the ones who give us the strength to keep working. Let us all join together and commit ourselves to building a compassionate and value-driven society.

Speaking at the same event, Praveen Maneesha Watthegama, the student Prime Minister of the National Student Parliament presented his views:

We have named this student summit ’Pankaja’ (lotus), a flower that rises from the mud to symbolize the emergence of a noble new generation from a troubled society.

As a representative of the student community, I hope to present three key proposals to the Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Training.

Firstly, to implement the concept of student parliaments effectively in schools; secondly, to introduce a system where physical punishment is replaced with a skill-based point deduction method as a form of discipline; and thirdly, to investigate the possibility of implementing value-based programs in Sunday Dhamma schools that help shape students’ attitudes.

The event was graced by the presence of the Maha Sangha and clergy of other religions, Speaker of Parliament Dr. Jagath Wickramarathna, Deputy Minister of Housing Development, Construction and Housing T.B. Sarath, Members of Parliament for Polonnaruwa District Padmasiri Bandara and Sunil Rathnasiri, Principal of Royal Central College Mr. Ravilal Wijewansa, members of the school academic staff, students, and a large number of parents.

Prime Minister’s Media Division

Resolve the Principal issues in the North Central Province Within next three months.

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya emphasized that, in implementing the new education reform, proper and timely principal transfers must be ensured to provide children with quality education and the importance of maintaining proper coordination between provincial councils and the central government.

The Prime Minister made these remarks today (12th) at the North Central Provincial Council during the first awareness session of a series of discussions aimed at informing educational and administrative authorities at provincial, zonal, and divisional levels about the new education reforms to be implemented in 2026.

The discussions addressed the revision of curricula, assessment and evaluation processes, development of infrastructure, minimization of teacher and administrative vacancies, enhancement of coordination between provincial councils and the central government, and understanding and addressing existing regional issues promptly.

Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated:

We all accept that the current education system needs to change. These reforms are essential. Particularly, existing teachers must be trained, infrastructure must be improved, and the administrative structure must be strengthened. Digitalization is also necessary.

It is important not to look at this reform in isolation but to see it as a systemic overhaul. It’s not enough to say that this is a developing country, we need to change the method. And that responsibility falls on us. For whatever reason, we are now compelled to make this change. Not only teachers but also the administrative sector, parents, and everyone else must get involved in this regard. Everyone should be properly informed about these reforms.

The goal is to ensure that when students leave school, they have a clear path forward through university, higher education, or vocational education. If we are to move this country forward, we must implement educational transformation. Likewise, in this process, government-related transfers must be done properly. Principal transfers must be rationalized appropriately.

Provincial-level issues related to principals must be resolved promptly through the provincial councils. We are prepared to issue circulars and make legal amendments through the Ministry to achieve this. Do not divide schools into ’national’ and ’provincial.’ All schools belong to us; all children are ours.

We must take responsibility for the children currently in school. To do so, we must rectify the current situation in schools. Let’s work together in consensus to solve these issues.

As a government, we are placing special focus on education reform. The President has also emphasized the importance of developing human resources and improving infrastructure for education and has assured the necessary financial support.

Our task is to solve these issues and implement a new education transformation. The first year may be challenging, but by the third or fourth year, it will become easier.

These discussions are especially important for identifying and solving problems at the provincial level during the implementation of this process. We ask for your support in this transformation for the sake of our children.

The Prime Minister also instructed officials to take necessary steps to resolve the existing issues related to teachers and principals in the North Central Province within the next three months.

Minister of Trade, Commerce, and Consumer Affairs, Mr. Wasantha Samarasinghe, stated:

There are numerous education-related issues in the North Central Province. In particular, for a long time, zonal directors of education have not been properly appointed, and principals have not been appointed appropriately. All these matters must be resolved. While the Ministry of Education is carrying out necessary actions, issues at the provincial level must also be addressed. Some schools in the North Central Province do not have principals, while there are 46 excess grade-one principals. One teacher is assigned to just 16 students, yet schools still claim they lack teachers. This situation must be changed immediately. Transfers must be done correctly. Interviews should be held, and appointments must be granted to unassigned officers through proper procedures.

The discussion was attended by the Parliamentarians Bhagyashri Herath, Nimal Palihena, and North Central Province Governor Wasantha Jinadasa, along with Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Mr. Nalaka Kaluwawa, North Central Provincial Chief Secretary J.M.R.P. Jayasinghe, Provincial Director of Education M.M.W. Samarakoon, and officials representing the Ministry of Education, Department of Examinations, Department of Educational Publications, National Institute of Education, the North Central Provincial Council, and the Provincial Department of Education.

Prime Minister’s Media Division

The official handover of the Sri Sobitha Nahimigama housing project to its beneficiaries took place on July 12 at Oyamadua, Elpathagama in the Anuradhapura District, with the participation of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.

During the event, 115 houses under the project were handed over to the public and the housing project was implemented with the support of the Commemoration Foundation of the Most Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero, the current government, and the Government of India.

During the ceremony, the Prime Minister unveiled the commemorative plaque and symbolically handed over the keys to three selected housing recipients. The Prime Minister also planted a sapling within the temple grounds.

Addressing the event, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated:

The late Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero made a significant commitment to this village during his lifetime. We appreciate the efforts of the Commemoration Foundation engaged in discussions with both the Sri Lankan and Indian governments to improve the living conditions of the people here after his Reverend’s passing.

From a young age, I had the opportunity to associate closely with Venerable Sobitha Thero. I learned about Buddhism from him. He taught me to stand up against injustice and fight for what is right.

While we focus on developing the economy physically, we are engaged in shaping the future of our children. We are ensuring that they receive a quality education that prepares them to become the next generation of leaders of this country through education reforms.

The Chief Incumbent of the Sri Sobitha Temple, Rev. Elpathagama Revatha Thero,

Back then, Venerable Sobitha Thero supported this village by even sharing items he received for the temple, like sugar and tea leaves. He was a truly exemplary Bhikku.

When this project began in 2017, politicians visited the village but as they were not allowed to act as they pleased like cutting down trees, harming animals, piling up sand, or engaging in corruption, they abandoned the project.

In 2017, I went to meet a certain minister to request that the village bus be given a proper timetable. However during the meeting, he threw my letter in my face. That is how the previous governments treated these poor people.

I personally requested the President to complete this project by May 2025. True to his word, he fulfilled that promise and handed over the responsibility to the Prime Minister to proceed. Our Minister of Housing, Anura Karunathilaka, visited every house in the village. All relevant officials were instructed to complete the project on the requested date. The present government extended great support to ensure this work was completed successfully.

Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, Mr. Wasantha Samarasinghe, who participated in the event, stated:

For long-neglected villages like this, providing essential facilities such as hospitals, reservoirs, and education is a must. Delivering these is the responsibility of our government.

We have a procedure to connect village productions to the broader markets under the cooperative system.

Minister of Urban Development, Construction, and Housing, Mr. Anura Karunathilaka, added:

We are working to provide safe and healthy housing for all under the policies of the National People’s Power (NPP). This year, we are investing a significant amount to build new houses.

When we visited this village, we saw the suffering of the people. Our government is committed to uplifting their lives.

Indian High Commissioner Mr. Santosh Jha, who also attended the event, stated:

At this moment, India is progressing under the theme ’Let us rise together,’ and Sri Lanka too is on a transformative path towards prosperity and a better life, this joint project between the Indian and Sri Lankan governments is a strong example of the deep bond between our two nations.

The teachings of Buddhism continue not only to inspire the strong ties and mutual support between our countries but also the project launched by the governments of India and Sri Lanka to facilitate the economic relief indicates the compassion highlighted in Buddhism.

The event was graced by the presence of the Chief Incumbent of the Thanthirimale Raja Maha Vihara, Most Venerable Thanthirimale Chandraratana Thero and Maha sangha.

The event was also attended by the Deputy Minister of Housing Development, Construction, and Housing, Mr. T.B. Sarath; former Speaker Mr. Karu Jayasuriya; MP for Anuradhapura District Mr. Sene Nanayakkara; Chairman of the Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero Foundation Mr. Ravi Jayawardena; housing beneficiaries; and a large gathering of local residents.

Prime Minister’s Media Division