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Thursday Dec 12, 2024
Tuesday, 5 January 2016 00:03 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Chamodi Gunawardana
Minister of Housing and Construction Sajith Premadasa said there would be no money-wasting celebrations to mark the 8 January anniversary of the Government as claimed by the Joint Opposition.
Opposition MP Wimal Weerawansa charged the government was making arrangements to waste people’s money on celebrations to mark the ‘hopper revolution’ in January.
In response, Premadasa said the Government would only spend State funds for development, not festivals.
“I should emphasise that the 8 January victory was not a hopper revolution, but a beginning of development revolution,” he said.
He further insisted the Good Governance Government would not allow alleged frauds and corruption like the prior Rajapaksa regime did.
“Weerawansa does not have any right to criticise the current administration, because he was one of the leading members in the previous Government which allowed casinos, drug deals, abuse of State properties and crimes,” Premadasa charged.
Commenting on the Government’s next development moves, Premadasa stated it would not be limited to particular area.
“Our development projects will serve the entire country including nine provinces, 25 districts, 320 Divisional Secretariat Divisions, 14,022 Grama Niladhari Divisions and 38,000 small villages,” he explained.
The Minister added 2016 would be more beneficial for low income earners and people who do not have permanent shelter to live.
“The budget has proposed to allocate monies to build 160,000 houses around the country by the end of 2016. Our Ministry is conducting a housing loan scheme of Rs. 50,000 under minimum interest to encourage people to construct a house of their own,” Premadasa said.
He made these observations at an occasion held in Katuwana, organised to present housing loans for 852 low income families.
