Farmers are not government workers, but can we put a price to their immeasurable service
Jaffna District Coordinating Committee meeting was held today (12.07.2024) at the Jaffna Divisional Secretariat Office under the patronage of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. Distribution of rice and egg incubators for the low income families was also done while the Prime Minister was there.
The Prime Minister addressing the audience commented -
"This government is dedicated to improving the living conditions of the Jaffna Peninsula. In order to increase the living conditions, we have embarked on an increase in most of the expenditure needed by the departments, and also special allocations for rural and urban development in the local government area.
So, as the Prime Minister, it gives me a special privilege to be with you all, in order to monitor the progress made by all of you, as well as to get a little feedback where we stand today in relation to the reports given.
The President and the government is committed to improve the services and living conditions, therefore, to provide the necessary infrastructure for developments, which means much to your area.
We appreciate the immeasurable efforts of farmers because farmers are all private sector, I would say. Let us not forget, farmers are all in the private sector, either in the ownership or in the tenancy. They are private contributors to the national development of the economy.
Another area I would like to bring the attention is, in relation to school children. President and the Government is totally committed to giving highest priority for education. We want every child to get the opportunity of being educated and go up to the universities and thereafter to new programs for training, for technical and professional fields. There is a budget allocation that have been awarded for that, so, we should all get together and try to achieve its fullfilment.
The poverty numbers are fairly managed in our country. Poverty is one of the key problems in any economy, any country, you would agree with me, the richest country, in the United States even,food stamps have been given. So all economies the world are going through difficult situations in relation to the poor.
We have to look after the poor especially in these remote villages of the Northern Province..."
Minister Douglas Devanada, Governor P S M Charles, MPs M A Sumanthiran, Angajan Ramanathan, C Vigneshwaran, Dharmalingam Siddharthan, Yadamini Gunawardena, Ministry of Public Administration Secretary Pradeep Yasaratne, District Secretary Ambalawanar Sivabalasundaran and public and private officials took part in this meeting.
Prime Minister’s Media