President inaugurates felicitation week

President Mahinda Rajapaksa inaugurated the countrywide celebrations by planting a sapling at the President’s House yesterday morning at the auspicious time of 10.07 am.

Government has declared the week from 15 - 22 November as a week of celebrations to mark the swearing in ceremony of President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his second term that begins on Friday (19). Yesterday’s ceremony marked the planting of 1.1 million plants in 11 minutes island wide.

The Chief Ministers of Provinces were leading the campaign in their provinces and Government Agents, Divisional Secretaries, Grama Niladharis, Samurdhi Niladharis, and Agricultural Officers led the campaign at grass root levels. Government Departments, Voluntary Organisations, Private Sector Organisations and Schools throughout the country participated in the programme. Tree planting is also to be carried out in Army camps from 15th to 19th.

Government sources said it is estimated that over 650,000 trees in North Central Province, 600,000 trees in North Western Province, 750,000 trees in the Sabaragamuwa Province, 650,000 trees in the Central Province and over 600,000 trees in the Gampaha District alone in the Western Province, and similar number of trees in all the other provinces were planted at the auspicious time.

Reports state that the number of trees planted will exceed 2 million.

Time for trees!

President Mahinda Rajapaksa checks the time on his wrist watch as Environment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa adjusts his cap prior to yesterday’s ceremonious launch of the Government’s Deyata Sevana programme of planting 1.1 million saplings at the auspicious time of 10.07 a.m. as a salutation to President who will be sworn in for his second term on Friday. The President and First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa planted saplings of Kiripalu (Bachuanania Axillaris) and Sudu Handun at the President’s House premises. Minister Yapa, Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake, President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunge, President’s Chief of Staff Gamini Senarath also planted saplings to mark the occasion - Pix by Sudath Silva