Monday Dec 15, 2025
Monday Dec 15, 2025
Monday, 15 December 2025 00:08 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
A child presents a token to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Puttalam
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has said that the recent Ditwah disaster “dealt a severe blow to an economy that was being rebuilt steadily and systematically,” according to the President’s Media Division (PMD). He said that the Government’s ability to provide substantial compensation to disaster-affected communities is the result of the strong fiscal discipline of the Government.
Addressing the passing-out parade of the Sri Lanka Navy on Saturday, Dissanayake said: “In the face of such a challenge, it is the duty of every citizen not to withdraw or remain in hopelessness, but to come together with unwavering determination to restore the nation.”
He stressed that the nation can move forward only when everyone faithfully discharges the duties entrusted to them and that no profession or responsibility should be regarded as secondary, as each contributes to nation-building.
During the weekend, Dissanayake attended meetings in Mannar, Puttalam, and Trincomalee to assess the relief and recovery work post-Ditwah.
According to the PMD, at a District Coordination Committee meeting at Puttalam, the President directed that all compensation payments for crop damage be completed before 25 December.
Taking into account the challenges that have arisen in the distribution of allowances and aid so far, the President instructed Divisional Secretaries to ensure that compensation is provided strictly to eligible recipients and to fully intervene to prevent any deviation from this policy under any circumstances.
