CMC, WPC vow to eradicate drug menace in Colombo city

Western Province Governor Azath Salley with Colombo Mayor Rosy Senanayake during their meeting

By Mohammed Rasooldeen

The Western Provincial Council (WPC) and Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) will work together to chalk out a program to eradicate drugs and garbage problems and ease traffic congestion in Colombo city. 

The meeting to make Colombo a better city was held when Mayor of Colombo Rosy Senanayake paid a courtesy call on the Western Province Governor Azath Salley at the Governor’s Secretariat in Colombo on Monday.

Speaking to the press following the meeting, Rosy Senanayake said that she met with the Governor to greet him on his new appointment and also to explore the possibilities of establishing a close relation between the CMC and the Governorate to move for a better Colombo.  

During the discussions, it was agreed to cooperate between the two bodies to maintain an environmentally friendly Colombo city, where its people could live peacefully with all communities. 

She pointed out that sale of drugs in the vicinity of the schools, garbage problem and the traffic congestion in the city were the main topics that were taken up during the discussions. She also expressed confidence that the new Governor will be able to do a better service to the City of Colombo by virtue of his experience as Deputy Mayor of Colombo. 

“This is the beginning of the anticipated cooperation and we hope to embark on many more services in the near future,” she concluded.

Thanking the mayor for her courtesy call, Governor Azath Salley said that during the meeting some important problems were discussed and the combined efforts of the two bodies will resolve certain pending issues that have been a menace to the society. He pointed out that traffic problems are mainly caused because of the people’s negligence towards traffic rules. He insisted that mobile traffic courts should be set up like other countries to impose immediate fines on traffic violators. “Pavements in the city are used by vendors preventing the pedestrians from using them,” he added.